MTN says it expects a US court to rule on Turkcell’s bribery lawsuit\u00a0against the group in late 2012 or early 2013.<\/p>\n
On 28 March 2012, Turkcell Iletisim AS and EAC (Turkcell) filed a\u00a0legal action against MTN Group and MTN International (Mauritius)\u00a0Limited (MTNI) in the United States district court in Washington,\u00a0DC.<\/p>\n
Turkcell alleges, principally, that MTN violated the US Alien\u00a0Tort Statute by engaging in the bribery of an Iranian and a South\u00a0African government official in connection with MTN’s participation\u00a0in the Irancell consortium.<\/p>\n
It also also\u00a0alleges\u00a0that MTN encouraged the South African\u00a0government to take a favourable position toward Iran’s civil\u00a0nuclear power development programme at a meeting of the\u00a0International Atomic Energy Agency in November 2005, and that MTN
\nenlisted South African government support for the provision of\u00a0military equipment to Iran.<\/p>\n
Turkcell seeks damages in the amount\u00a0of $4.2 billion. On 2 July 2012, MTN moved to dismiss the case on\u00a0the basis that it lacks legal merit.<\/p>\n
On 30 July 2012, the\u00a0Turkcell plaintiffs filed an opposition to the motion. MTN’s
\nreplying brief is due on 15 August 2012, at which point the motion\u00a0will be fully briefed.<\/p>\n
“MTN expects that the court will decide the\u00a0motion in late 2012 or early 2013,” it said in a statement on Wednesday (8 August).<\/p>\n
On 1 February 2012, MTN’s board of directors appointed a special\u00a0committee to investigate the allegations made by Turkcell. The\u00a0committee is chaired by an independent jurist, Lord Leonard\u00a0Hoffmann, and has been directed to conduct an investigation and
\nreport its findings and recommendations to the board.<\/p>\n
“The\u00a0committee’s investigation is continuing.\u00a0MTN is working closely with all the relevant authorities to manage\u00a0US sanctions against Iran and Syria. MTN continues to retain\u00a0international legal advisors to assist the Group in remaining\u00a0compliant with all applicable sanctions,” MTN said.<\/p>\n
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