The deported MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Wim Vanhelleputte, has arrived in Uganda after being pardoned by President Yoweri Museveni. He is expected to meet Museveni next week to iron out a few issues, sources say.
He was welcomed at Entebbe International Airport by his family and other MTN-Uganda top executives, he was ushered into the VIP lounge where he met his family and collegaues at a low key function which the media was kept away from and after signing papers and exchanging documents, he moved out in the waiting vehicles and driven to Kampala.
according to one of his colleagues, he is quoted to have said he is happy to be back to Uganda and grateful to President Museveni for considering him to be allowed back.
According to Minister of Internal Affairs Gen Jeje Odongo, Vanhelleputte has been removed from the ‘Immigration Stop List’, and is now allowed into Uganda after staying outside for over three months.
Senior Presidential Press Secretary, Don Wanyama also posted on his twitter handle saying Mr Wim had been cleared to return. “Following discussions with MTN Group top management, President @KagutaMuseveni has exercised his executive discretion and allowed @mtnug CEO, Wim Vanhelleputte, back into the country. He is expected to resume his duties”
In response to his Mr. Wim’s return, MTN-Uganda posted on their twitter handle thanking Mr Museveni and other officials that who were involved in the behind the scene meetings.
“MTN confirms that the President of the Republic of Uganda, His Excellency, @KagutaMuseveni has exercised executive discretion to permit MTN CEO, Wim Vanhelleputte’s unconditional return to #Uganda”
Vanhelleputte was deported from Uganda in mid-February and was supposed to stay outside Uganda indefinitely. He was deported together with three other senior employees of the telecommunications company for allegedly compromising National Security using their positions at the company. They included the chief marketing officer, Olivier Prentout, the mobile money general manager Elsa Mussolini and Annie Tabura who was the general manager for sales and distribution at MTN Uganda.
