South Africa’s MTN Group has refuted reports in the South African media suggesting new legal developments in the United States relating to an ongoing lawsuit filed against the telecoms group.
In a statement issued Thursday and seen by Technology Times, MTN describes the publication as incorrect, and says it has formally requested a retraction and correction from the unnamed media house.
The mobile telecoms giant that owns MTN Nigeria clarifies that the legal matter referenced was already publicly disclosed in its quarterly update for the period ending September 30, 2023.
In that update, MTN reported that a U.S. District Court judge had ruled on September 28, 2023, partially denying MTN’s motion to dismiss claims filed under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act in Zobay v. MTN, a case initiated in 2021, the telecoms group says.
The ruling allows the case to proceed to the discovery phase and potentially, trial, but does not imply that MTN has lost the case or been found liable, the company emphasises.
Crucially, the court upheld a motion to dismiss MTN Dubai from the proceedings, noting that plaintiffs failed to tie any specific conduct to the Dubai-based unit, effectively removing it as a party to the lawsuit.
“The court’s dismissal order does not mean that MTN has lost the case, nor does it suggest that MTN violated the law or otherwise engaged in wrongdoing,” MTN reiterated in its November 2023 update, noting that U.S. legal procedures do not allow challenges to factual allegations at the motion-to-dismiss stage.
MTN adds that it would have the opportunity to present evidence to counter the claims in the upcoming litigation phases, including discovery and summary judgment motions.
The company expresses sympathy for victims of the tragic conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but maintains that it has been wrongly targeted in the lawsuit. “MTN firmly believes that the plaintiffs have sued the wrong defendants in the wrong court, based on insufficient allegations,” it adds.
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