Batelco denies claims of corruption

Manama: Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) yesterday denied claims of corruption leveled by an MP, saying that they were "groundless, sensational and defamatory to the reputation of the company."

An Islamist MP on January 8 launched a scathing attack on the company, accusing it of paying off an executive in Jordan $30 million in a "golden handcuffs" deal to buy Jordanian telecoms giant Umniah.

The lawmaker from Al Menbar, Abdul Lateef Al Shaikh, also charged that the company ran bogus projects that allowed company officials to make money, created highly-paid positions to swell the expatriate ranks and spent extravagant amounts on a diving trip.

But Batelco Chairman, Shaikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said that an investigation concluded that the all the claims lacked credibility and deplored that "sensational allegations without a shred of evidence were made against Bahrain's flagship company."