Senate Summons NCC, Attorney General Over Suspected Foul Play In Payment Of MTN Fine

The Senate Committee on Communications has summoned the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Minister of Communications Technology, Adebayo Shittu, to appear before over claims that MTN Nigeria Limited had paid N50 billion of the N780 billion fine to the federal government.

The committee also summoned the Executive Vice-Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and Chief Executive Officer of MTN to appear before it on March 10, to explain all they know about the payment and other connected matters.

According to the letter of invitation dated March 3, 2016, addressed to them, Chairman of the committee, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, the committee said it discovered during one of its recent oversight functions that NCC could not provide any proof of the payment by MTN.

The committee further said it learnt that MTN had been misguided to lodge the said N50 billion into the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Recovery Account, the account it said was specially designated for recovered funds.

Therefore, the committee said it suspected foul play over the manner of the payment as well as the hasty manner that MTN withdrew its suit against NCC from the court, arguing that if there was no ulterior motive behind the moves, the payment ought to have been made to NCC.