MTN asked to defend self in MP Mpaka’s phone hack case ; hearing date set

The Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala has asked MTN Uganda, Bank of Uganda and the Uganda Communications Commission to defend themselves in a matter in which they were sued for aiding conmen who hacked into the phone of the youth MP for Western Uganda, Mwine Mpaka Rwamirama.

Mpaka dragged the three to court seeking a Shs40 million compensation over his damaged reputation when conmen were able to hack into his phone number and started soliciting for money from various people without his knowledge.

According to summons to file defence from the High Court, the three are required to file their defence within 15 days from the date of service of the summons without fail.

“Should you fail to file a defence on or before the date mentioned, the plaintiff (Mpaka) will proceed with the suit and judgment may be given in your absence,” reads in part the summons.

Date set

Meanwhile, the court has set April 6 as the date to hear the application in which the legislator is seeking for an interim order stopping MTN Uganda from their continued interference and tapping of his communication and recording of his phone records until further orders by the Civil Division of the High Court.

The court will also on Thursday listen to MP Mpaka’s arguments in which he seeks for an interim order restraining the Uganda Communications Commission from continuing with the process of renewal of MTN Uganda’s licence pending the disposal of the main application or until any other orders by the court.

However according to the court, the application for an interim order will be heard ex- parte(in the presence of only one party).

In a suit filed on March 23, the legislator contends that when he traveled on official parliamentary duty to Malaysia for the World Urban Forum Conference, he was unable to make or receive phone calls on his mobile number but only Whats App messages yet he had paid for roaming services to the telecommunication company.

According to Mpaka, he would later get messages that he was asking for money from people using text messages from the same number which left him shocked, traumatised and in disbelief because he had never asked for the money neither had he ever been stranded.

The legislator adds that he would later receive a message on his WhatsApp asking that he verifies his number yet he had never changed the number and on reporting to an MTN shop, the company delayed to reconnect him.

On reconnection and reinstalling his WhatApp, Mpaka says he found a number of strange messages and changes including his number being added to various WhatsApp groups.

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