Africell Uganda Chief Operations Officer Mohammad Ghaddar has today confirmed the story we reported yesterday about the 11 Lebanese expatriates that were apprehended by Gender and Internal Affairs Ministry officials for not having proper working documentation. Addressing journalists at the Africell/Orange headquarters Mohammad Ghaddar said that
“It was a routine check up by the immigration as it’s done to all companies to see if they comply with rules and regulations. However it was done at a time when some of these expatriates had just come to the country and we had just started processing their documents,”
He further explained that after acquiring the majority shares (95.3%) in Orange, Africell brought in expatriates mainly from Beirut to help them conclude the transaction. Especially with the assessment for proper investment and operation. He said that some of the arrested experts were senior consultants but we had not yet sent their documents to the immigration department.
“We explained to them (immigration) and understood our side but we will have to apply and process the documents as the procedure demands,”
Ghaddar added.
