Turkcell homes in on MTN with R53bn court bid
Rival bidder in Iran deal gets SA court to hear claim
MTN's Turkcell headache just won't go away. The JSE-listed telecommunications group is headed to court after a legal challenge from the Turkish operator, this time in Johannesburg, over the awarding of its operating licence in Iran, which Turkcell alleges was granted after MTN paid bribes to officials in that country. It is seeking $4.2-billion (about R53-billion) in damages. The case, which was first filed in South Africa by Turkcell in November 2013, may finally go to trial after the High Court in Johannesburg agreed last month to hear the case. Turkcell, a rival bidder for the licence, is pursuing not only MTN, but former MTN Group CEO Phuthuma Nhleko (now its nonexecutive chairman) and former director Irene Charnley (who now leads wireless broadband operator Smile Communications). Both executives were intimately involved in the negotiations with the Iranians. The lawsuit may be a long shot for Turkcell. Previous attempts to resolve the matter through international arbitration fa...
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