Uganda Security Deport 2 Senior MTN Staff Including Rwandan for Compromising National Security

Security agencies have deported two foreign nationals including MTN Uganda’s Chief Marketing Officer, Olivier Prentout and another Rwandan national for their alleged involvement in acts aimed at compromising Uganda’s national security, Police said on Tuesday.

The other individual has been identified as Annie Tabura, a Rwandan national. She’s has been MTN’s General Manager for Sales and Distribution.

A statement by Police said the two were working for “with a leading mobile telecom company” but did not disclose which one.

“Security agencies in close coordination with immigration officials have been investigating two foreign nationals working with a leading mobile telecom company over their engagement in acts which compromise national security.” ACP Polly Namaye, the deputy Police spokesperson said in a statement.

Police said that Tabura and Prentout were using their employment “as tools to achieve their ill motives” and have been deported.

Their deportation “has enabled us disrupt their intended plans of compromising our national security,” ACP Namaye added in the statement.

“We want to commend the Directorate of Immigration and citizenship control for strengthening the screening procedures at all border points,” Police said.

Police has urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue helping Police and its sister security agencies by reporting any suspicious activity.

It remains unclear in what manner the two Senior staffers of MTN Uganda intended to compromise national security and to what extent.

Mid last year, security agents attached to the Internal Security Organization (ISO) raided the MTN data centre in Kampala  in what is said to have been an investigation into possible breach of national security and tax evasion by the telecom giant. But at the time, MTN dismissed the claims as untrue.

Related: MTN Denies Involvement in Security Breach, Tax Evasion in Wake of Data Centre Raid

Two employees of Huawei Uganda, a contractor were picked up in July 2018 from MTN headquarters at MTN Towers in Kampala by security operatives.

The raid also followed concerns raised by President Yoweri Museveni that telecom companies had been under declaring the revenue they generate, in order to dodge taxes.