MTN Uganda CEO Wim Vanhelleputte. President Yoweri Museveni has ordered
the Immigration Department to remove him from the Stop List. PHOTO |
MONITOR | NMG
Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has pardoned deported MTN
Uganda chief executive officer Wim Vanhelleputte and ordered the
Immigration Department to remove him from the Stop List.
Mr
Vanhelleputte, who was deported in February over allegations of
undermining state security, is expected back in Uganda Thursday aboard a
South African Airways flight.
A letter from the office
of the Internal Affairs Minister to the Director of Citizenship and
Immigration Control, a copy of which The EastAfrican has seen, directs that he be allowed back in Kampala.
“This
is...to direct that he is immediately removed from the immigration Stop
List, and accordingly be allowed into the country. By copy of this
letter, the In-Charge Immigration/Security at Entebbe Airport are
accordingly asked to allow him access and immigration clearance through
Entebbe VIP lounge. Treat as urgent,” reads the letter dated May 29,
stamped “Very Urgent.”
The surprise return of Mr
Vanhelleputte is likely to put security chiefs on the spot, after
separate investigations exonerated him.
His removal
from the Stop List marks a dramatic reset of relations between Kampala
and the South African telecoms giant, whose top leadership had been
accused of spying for Rwanda.
Progress has also been made towards resolution of a separate
dispute over licence fees, with President Museveni reportedly directing
regulator Uganda Communications Commission and the Finance Ministry to
work out a uniform formula for determining licence fees in the sector,
ahead of the renewal of MTN Uganda and market rival Airtel’s licence
applications, which have been pending since late 2018.
The
fate of the other deportees—French national and former MTN Uganda chief
marketing officer Olivier Prentout, Rwandan Annie Bilenge Tabura, who
was head of sales and distribution, and Franco-Italian citizen and
general manager for mobile financial services Elsa Muzzolini was not
immediately established. But Mr Vanhelleputte is expected to take back
his post at MTN Uganda, which has not been filled.
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