MOSCOW, Nov 23 (Prime-Tass) -- Kyrgyz mobile operator Bitel has accused a subsidiary of Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) of falsifying documents, Bitel said in a press release, Vedomosti business daily reported Thursday.
Bitel said that MTS had filed a copy of a ruling with a court that said the Kyrgyz General Prosecutors' Office had closed criminal cases into the illegal transfer of over US$9 million from Bitel. However, Bitel later received a letter from prosecutors that the investigations were still ongoing, Bitel said, the daily reported.
After that, Bitel filed a complaint against MTS with Kyrgyz prosecutors and the US' Securities Exchange Commission, Bitel's General Director Denis Shershnev told the daily.
MTS has denied the accusations, the daily reported.
MTS has been fighting for ownership rights over Bitel since 2005. MTS purchased a 51% stake in Bitel for $150 million in late 2005, but the purchase was challenged by little-known Russian company, Rezervspetsmet, which reportedly has links with Russia's Altimo. At the moment, Rezervspetsmet has operating control over Bitel, but MTS is battling in court for control over the operator.
In June, Altimo bought Kyrgyzstan's Sky Mobile, whose only asset then was a GSM license. At some point in September-October, Bitel transferred all its assets to Sky Mobile.
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Posted to the site on 23rd November 2006
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/20583.php