CBN settles rift with MTN

TVCNews

The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced the resolution of its dispute with MTN Communications Limited, saying the company will now atone only for the illegal remittances on preference shares issued in 2008.

CBN’s spokesman and director of corporate communications, Isaac Okorafor announced the breakthrough in a statement published on the bank’s website on Monday.

The MTN also corroborated the truce in a statement simultaneously issued by MTN in Johannesburg.

According to the terms of settlement, the CBN instructed MTN Nigeria to implement a notional reversal of the 2008 private placement of shares in MTN Nigeria at a net cost of circa N19.2 billion – equivalent to US$52.6m (the notional reversal amount).

“This is on the basis that certain certificates of capital importation (CCIs) utilised in the private placement were not properly issued.

“MTN Nigeria and the CBN have agreed that they will resolve the matter on the basis that MTN Nigeria will pay the notional reversal amount without admission of liability”, MTN said.

“In terms of the resolution agreement, the CBN will regularise all the CCIs issued on the investment by shareholders of MTN Nigeria of circa $402,625,419 without regard to any historical disputes relating to those CCIs, thereby bringing to a final resolution all incidental disputes arising from this matter.

The CBN said four months ago that MTN should return to Nigerian coffers $8.1 billion repatriated between 2007 and 2015, because of capital importation certificate irregularities.

Four banks involved in the repatriation, Standard Bank, Stanbic IBTC Nigeria, Citibank Nigeria and Diamond Bank Plc, were fined by the CBN.

Standard Chartered Bank was fined N2.47 billion, Stanbic IBTC, N1.88 billion, Citibank Nigeria, N1.26 billion and Diamond bank, N250 million.