MTN confirms Museveni pardoned their former CEO unconditionally

Telecom giants MTN Uganda have confirmed their former Chief Executive Officer, Wim Vanhelleputte has been pardoned by President Museveni and is expected to return to the country soon.

Government in February declared the Belgian national an unwanted person in the country over what was termed as being a threat to national security, prompting him to drag them to court over the “illegal” deportation.

However, on Thursday, MTN Uganda in a tweet said the decision by government had been rescinded.

“MTN confirms that the President of the Republic of Uganda, His Excellency, Kaguta Museveni has exercised executive discretion to permit MTN CEO, Wim Vanhelleputte’s unconditional return to Uganda,” the company tweeted.

In a letter from the Internal Affairs Minister to the Director of Citizenship and Immigration Control the President directed that Wim should be allowed to return to Kampala.

“This is to direct that he is immediately removed from the immigration stop list and accordingly be allowed into the country,” the letter reads in part.

“The in charge Immigration/security at Entebbe Airport are accordingly asked to allow him access an immigration clearance through Entebbe VIP lounge.”

Vanhelleputte was in February 2019 declared an unwanted person in Uganda before being deported.

In his petition to the High Court in Kampala in which he challenged the deportation, the former MTN Uganda CEO said he was treated unfairly and inhumanely by government.

“I was roughly handcuffed without being given proper explanation and was informed I was going to be deported and then I was bundled up into a motor vehicle,”Wim said in his affidavit.

“I tried to seek an explanation as to why I was being deported but I was only informed by the interrogating team that these were orders from above and even if I wanted to seek audience for an explanation with whoever had taken the decision to deport me, such an opportunity was not available for me.”

Vanhelleputte averred in his petition that he was never given opportunity to freely communicate with his family members, friends and other relatives after his phones were confiscated from him.

“I was exposed to degrading and inhumane treatment from the time of my interrogation, arrest and detention until deportation all without any lawful justification,” he added.

Government recently defended the decision to deport the Belgian saying the Internal Affairs Minister used his powers derived from the Constitution.

“The Immigration Act of Parliament gives the minister full powers to deport someone and whoever is aggrieved with his decision there is another option of appealing,” court was told.