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Secret Reporters
Document has exposed how MTN Corporation Limited, a leading telecommunication giant in Africa, committed the offence of cybercrime, destroying evidence in order to subvert justice in a case of inhumane treatment meted on one of the company’s staff.
This was contained in a petition sighted by SecretReporters, written by Eruli-Ede, Eruli-Ede and co. legal practitioners, on behalf of its client, Christopher Oyemike (a staff of MTN Communication PLC) to the commissioner of police Delta state, with the title “A Case Of Computer Forgery, Computer Related Fraud, Unauthorised Modification Of Computer System, System Interference & Intercepting Emails – A Passionate Appeal To Commence Investigation” dated 8th June 2023.
According to the petition, the victim, had during the course of discharging his duty sustained serious injuries at the company’s warehouse in Asaba, causing him excruciating pain and partial deformity.
Information at our disposal revealed that rather than live up to their responsibility of taking care of their staff by providing adequate medical attention and support, MTN decided to toe the part of inhumane treatment, negligence and attempted to force a resignation status on him, despite a series of complaints and appeals made by their client.
The document noted that the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Chris Ngige who assigned the controller of the Ministry of labour and employment in Asaba to intervene on the matter assured the injured staff that he will be compensated. However, MTN realising that the outcome of the intervention will not be in their favour, decided to delete mails containing vital and relevant information from their client’s email box.
It reads in part; “Apparently sensing that the Report may not be in the Company’s favour and our client may resort to the law court to enforce his rights, the Managing Director of the Company, Karl Toriola, connived with some other officers of the Company including the head of the Company’s Human Resources Reward Unit, and without lawful authority, intentionally and fraudulently deleted a mail containing vital and relevant information from our client’s email box.”
“The action(s) of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and its officers stated in the preceding paragraph was done in flagrant violation of the extant provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015 especially sections 8, 9, 13, 14, and 16 (2) (a) & (b)”
Corroborating the document, an insider source who spoke with this online media platform on the condition of anonymity, noted that the company ordered the hospital to alter the client’s medical report and instructed the hospital not to give him a copy of his medical report.
The source added that MTN failed to report to the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund and the Occupational Health Hazard Department of the Ministry of Labour and Employment all within fourteen days of sustaining injuries.
He said despite the refusal of MTN to pay the victim’s medical bills, while he was on medication in United Kingdom, the company ordered him to resume work after they saw the papers he filed against them in court.
The source said Oyemike abandoned his medication and resumed work as directed by MTN, only for the company to deny him before a panel set up by Festus Keyamo the then Minister of Labour and Employment to investigate the matter.
The source noted that MTN said Oyemike resigned since 1st December 2022, a claim rebuffed by the victim. According to our source, the client tendered evidence to prove that he had not resigned as he continued receiving benefits and emails of a fully employed staff before the panel.
SecretReporters gathered that when they were invited to the Police station for questioning, MTN admitted deleting vital information from the victim’s mailbox because he was no longer a staff member.
The source finally noted that the client was being victimized because of his union membership and every attempt by Christopher Oyemike to reach out to the general public for help including national dailies was continually truncated by MTN Corporation PLC.
