Malawi: G-Mobile locks horns with information minister

G-Mobile has since threatened to pursue a legal suit and sue the minister for defamation.

Kaunda dropped the bombshell at an impromptu meeting of directors and some senior officials from his ministry whom he accused of orchestrating the bribe. Kaunda said G-Mobile has been using some of the ministry officials to urge the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to ease pressure on the mobile company's roll-out process.

"Bribes through my ministry officials" - Kaunda

"For the past four months, G-Mobile has been trying to offer me bribes through my ministry officials," said Kaunda. But G-Mobile vice chairperson Limbani Kalirani said he was not aware that the company had made any corruption advances.

"This is a shock to me and I do not know where these allegations are coming from," he said. G-Mobile Director of Administration Harrod Muyaba has said they will be taking the minister to court.

On 20 September 2010 MACRA announced that it had revoked the operation licence it gave to G-Mobile after its failure to beat several deadlines set for the company to roll out.

G-Mobile however dismissed the revocation describing MACRA's action as "jumping the gun" and they went ahead unperturbed setting their equipment on the ground claiming the matter was in court.