MTN-Turkcell dispute

RIVALS: HAWKS RAID OFFICES OF CELLPHONE OPERATOR, ATTORNEYS

Previous attempts to resolve the matter through international arbitration failed.

The Hawks have raided the offices of MTN Group and those of its external legal counsel, Webber Wentzel, apparently over the ongoing legal dispute with rival Turkcell, which lost out to the JSE listed telecommunications operator to a lucrative operating licence in Iran in 2005.

The separate raids both took place on Friday, TechCentral has learned.

It is understood that the Hawks seized materials at both companies. MTN confirmed that the Hawks raided its Fairland, Johannesburg, head office.

“On June 1, representatives from [the Hawks] visited MTN and its external legal counsel to obtain documents relating to aspects of the Turkcell litigation pursuant to MTN’s original self-reporting of this matter and the Turkcell complaint”.

MTN said it is “cooperating fully” with the Hawks’ investigation.

Webber Wentzel declined to say whether its raid was related to MTN, saying it is prevented professionally from providing any third party with information related to client matters.

The firm was reviewing the lawfulness of the warrant as well as its execution by the Hawks “on several grounds, including legal privilege”.

MTN last year moved to have Turkcell’s R53.3 billion lawsuit against it thrown out by the high court in SA, arguing that several previous attempts by its rival to seek redress against the Johannesburg-based mobile operator had failed.

MTN said it did nothing wrong in securing an operating licence in Iran, but Turkcell accused it of paying bribes to secure it. MTN owns 49% of MTN Irancell, that