Mobile operator MTN yesterday emerged victorious in its long-running dispute with Turkcell’s subsidiary, EAC, in Iran.
Since 2013, Turkcell and Turkcell's subsidiary, EAC, had instituted legal action in the High Court of South Africa against MTN Group and certain of its subsidiaries.
MTN yesterday said the allegations of impropriety levelled against it by EAC (East Asian Consortium) had been dismissed with costs.
According to MTN, this would put an end to the Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri litigation, which sought billions of rand in damages.
For more than 10 years Turkcell had alleged that MTN had been unlawfully awarded a tender to provide telecommunication services in Iran through paying bribes to officials. It had been named the winning bidder in February 2004 and MTN had come second.
However, the decision was reversed in 2005 and since then MTN has operated the licence as MTN Irancell.
In November 2020, Turkcell withdrew as a plaintiff, leaving EAC as the sole plaintiff in the action against MTN.
“In a judgment handed down by the High Court of South Africa on 30 November 2022, MTN is delighted at the outcome as it has consistently maintained that the Turkcell litigation was without merit,” MTN said.
BUSINESS REPORT