The Cairo-based Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH), regional operator of mobile telecom and Internet services, issued a statement claiming it has not been officially notified of the launching of a judicial investigation into the award of Algeria’s second GSM license to OTH in August 2001.
Algeria’s Public Prosecutor's office has confirmed it had ordered a preliminary probe into the contract, following allegations in local newspapers that the bidding process, in which OTH offered $737 million, against the $424 million bid of its competitor, France Telecom, was flawed and signed under pressure of a United Arab Emirates’ lobby, reported Reuters.
World Bank officials have praised the bidding process for Algeria’s first private GSM network as a model of transparency, subsequent to its award to OTH, company officials stressed.
OTH declared it “supports any official initiative to put an end to the aggressive campaign in the Algerian press regarding the award. Unfortunately, these events had a substantially adverse effect on the closing of the long-term financing arrangement for Orascom Telecom Algeria SPA (OTA).”
“From its side, OTA is, nevertheless, fully adhering to the terms of the license, as observed by the Algerian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and all relevant officials,” the company press release added. OTA, 51 percent owned by OTH, expects to top 500,000 mobile network users by 2003-end. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
