Telecommunications Company, MTN has been in the news for the last couple of hours for not so good reasons. On Tuesday, two of the company’s most senior staff were deported to France and Rwanda.
The MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Prentout and Head of Sales and Distribution Annie Bilenge Tabura were also deported to France and Rwanda after investigations by security agents showed that they were undermining national security.
Police spokesperson Polly Namaye said that security agencies in collaboration with immigration officers had been investigating the two foreigners ‘over their engagements in acts which compromise national security.’
“We strongly believe that the deportation of the two foreigners, who were using their employment as tools to achieve their ill motives, has enabled us to disrupt their intended plans of compromising our national security,” she added.
Later Tuesday night, Elsa Muzzolini, MTN General Manager Mobile Financial Services, was also arrested and deported to Italy.
The 500Mbs from MTN are said to have been given in error. They have since been deactivated so customers who received them may not be able to use them. The operator has since apologised for the inconvenience. Please contact the customer help line for clarification
— UCC (@UCC_Official) January 23, 2019
However, there was reason to smile after customers of the leading telecoms company received 500 MBs on their mobile gadgets. The MBs were to last 10 days.
Although many praised MTN for their generosity, several other believed it was a ploy to divert the country from the internal happenings and arrests.
Other keen data users however noticed that internet had slowed of become unresponsive or depleted after less than 12 hours.
“This whole @mtnug free 500MB is a total hoax. After “gifting” you with these “free” MBs, the internet in turns becomes unresponsive. It was not until I had to reload bundles that my internet resumed working,” Muhumuza Mbabazi said in a tweet to regulatory body Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).
Immediately, UCC came out to say the MBs were given out in error.
“The 500 Mbs from MTN are said to have been given out in error. They have since been deactivated so customers who received then may not be able to use them,” UCC replied.
“The operator has since apologized for the inconvenience. Please contact customer helpline for clarification.”
Just when Ugandans were expecting free Mobile Money.
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