The Hawks were investigating allegations of corruption at MTN relating to a mobile phone licence in Iran, an official said on Tuesday.

“There are allegations. We first did an assessment [to test] the strength of the allegations. After this we decided to do a follow-up investigation,” Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela said.

Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier said in a statement on Tuesday that allegations against a high-ranking former MTN executive had emerged.

The executive, who was named by Maynier in his statement, had allegedly engaged in “unprecedented corrupt acts” in order to win the mobile operating licence in Iran.

Maynier claimed: “A payment of US400,000 was made by MTN to Iran’s former deputy foreign minister Javid Ghorbanoghli for assistance in securing the mobile operating licence.”

Maynier said MTN also allegedly made a payment of US$200 000 to a South African diplomat — also named by the DA MP — to assist with the delivery of a pro-Iran position at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“MTN financed a trip by Iran’s nuclear negotiation chief Hassan Rowhani to meet former President Thabo Mbeki, to discuss SA’s position on Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Maynier charged.

Meanwhile, the telecoms operator says it will co-operate fully in the Hawks’ investigation. “As we have previously noted, MTN has a zero tolerance for corrupt or unethical practices,” spokesman Xolisa Vapi said in a statement.

He said MTN’s board of directors had appointed the Hoffmann committee to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations made by Turkish operator Turkcell. — Sapa