MTN In Trouble, Accused Of Bribing al-Queda, Other Terrorists

By Charles Igbo

If the allegations against Africa’s largest Telecommunications Company, MTN, already filed in a Federal Court in the United States are true, then the outfit is in deep trouble.

The suit against MTN and five other companies was instituted by families of US citizens killed by al-Queda and other Terrorist groups.

In the legal complaint made on Friday, MTN is alleged to have paid protection money to Islamist terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

If true, the allegation violated US anti-terrorism laws.

The complaint says MTN, to avoid investing in expensive security for its Transmission Towers, paid bribes to the Taliban and al-Queda.

Now, the families are alleging that such bribe monies helped sustain the organizations financially, and so fuelled their activities.

The alleged bribe payments, it is reported, helped in providing  “material support to the terrorist organizations.”

MTN says it is reviewing the allegations against it, and insists it is a responsible organization, compliant with the rules guiding any territories where it operates.

This will not be the first time MTN will be in trouble.

Aside its problems with the Nigerian government for which it paid fines to the tune of millions of USD,  in February, a former South African Ambassador to Iran, was arrested for taking bribes to help MTN win an operational license to operate in Iran.