"South Africa's MTN faces new allegations in U.S. complaint" 6 June 2020

South African telecoms firm MTN faces new allegations of aiding militant groups in Afghanistan, including paying protection money, in an amended lawsuit filed on behalf of hundreds of families of U.S. soldiers.

The original lawsuit was aimed at least eight multinational companies — including MTN, security firm G4S, U.S. infrastructure group Louis Berger and consultancy Janus Global — that operated in Afghanistan and Iran between 2009 and 2017.

The suit, filed in December 2019 in the United States District Court in the District of Columbia, alleges the companies violated the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act by paying protection money to al-Qaeda and the Taliban...

It alleges MTN violated the Anti-Terrorism Act by paying protection money of more than $100 million to al-Qaeda and the Taliban so its cellular towers would not be targeted for destruction. MTN deactivated those towers at night, preventing U.S. intelligence operations, according to the suit...

The company remains “of the view that we conduct our business in a responsible and compliant manner in all our territories,” it said in the statement citing chief executive officer Rob Shuter.