Nigerian parliament probes whether MTN fine can be reduced

Nigerias parliament has launched a probe into whether the telecoms regulator can reduce a fine slapped on South Africas MTN for missing a deadline to disconnect unregistered SIM card users, a lawmaker has said.

In December, the telecoms regulator NCC reduced the fine to $3.9 billion, but on Wednesday lawmakers in the lower house of parliament said the original fine could not be altered unless the law was amended.

"For you to adjust the fine, you have to adjust the law, that is where I am finding difficulty," said Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the House of Representatives, according to parliament's minutes seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The house launched a probe after lawmaker Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma asked, in a motion read out by Dogara, for the MTN fine to be more than tripled to $15.6 billion.

Agbonayinma also demanded that MTN face criminal charges, saying the firm's failure to disconnect users SIM cards had led to the death of some 10,000 Nigerians as criminals had used the unregistered cards, according to the motion.

MTN had angered the house by snubbing an invitation to its Nigeria Chief Executive Ferdi Moolman to appear at the telecoms committee, a lawmaker said.

Instead of sending Moolman, MTN issued a letter telling lawmakers "appropriate government agencies ... are in a position to furnish your committee with relevant information on this issue," lawmakers said, according to the minutes.

Credit: Reuters

Nigerian parliament probes whether MTN fine can be reduced

Nigerias parliament has launched a probe into whether the telecoms regulator can reduce a fine slapped on South Africas MTN for missing a deadline to disconnect unregistered SIM card users, a lawmaker has said.

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