BOMBSHELL: MTN’s Dirty Secrets to be Exposed in Court
Turkcell is set to unleash a torrent of damning evidence against MTN Group in court next week, seeking to expose the telecoms giant’s alleged corruption and bribery in the lucrative Iranian market.
The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein will hear Turkcell’s appeal against a lower court’s ruling that South African courts have no jurisdiction over the case. But Turkcell is determined to prove that MTN’s dirty tricks and backroom deals denied it a fair shot at the GSM licence in Iran, and that it’s owed a whopping R75 billion in damages.
The stakes are enormous, with both companies’ reputations on the line. Turkcell is accusing MTN of using its influence to secure the licence by paying bribes and making backroom deals with Iranian officials. And MTN’s former CEO, Phuthuma Nhleko, and director, Irene Charnley, are named as co-conspirators.
Turkcell’s lawyer, Cedric Soule, is confident that the company will finally get a fair hearing in a South African court, where it can present its evidence and prove MTN’s wrongdoing. "We believe that South Africa has an independent judiciary, and we will get a fair hearing here," Soule said.
But MTN has a history of trying to discredit Turkcell’s claims, including the Hoffman Committee’s report, which cleared the company of wrongdoing. But Turkcell is undeterred, and Soule is adamant that the company will prove its case.
The drama is set to unfold in court next week, with Turkcell’s evidence likely to be explosive. Will MTN be able to silence Turkcell once and for all, or will the truth finally come out? Only time will tell.