MTN hits back over Nigeria taxes order

The Nigerian Attorney-General’s office exceeded its powers when it demanded the MTN Group pay R30.2bn in back taxes, Africa’s largest wireless operator said. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, the mobile-phone company has been rocked twice in the past few weeks in its biggest market, with the central bank and the Attorney-General accusing it of illegally repatriating funds and failing to pay the back taxes. A report on the Fin24 site notes that the company denies the allegations and is seeking a court order to halt the process. It said the ‘unauthorised process’ has caused ‘undue, unwarranted and untold injury’ to its reputation.