In statement issued on Friday MTN confirmed the deportation but said the company was not aware of the reasons for the move. "MTN has not been notified of the grounds for the deportation and is working hard to establish precise reasons for the deportation," said MTN Uganda's communications manager Valery Okecho. "We are understandably concerned about these developments and are engaging with the authorities to seek understanding that would lead us to resolving this matter."
Vanhelleputte had been in the role of CEO since July 2016 at the Uganda branch of MTN, which operates in 22 African countries. In January, Uganda deported three senior MTN executives accusing the employees of using their positions to "compromise national security."