GP to launch external audit into illegal VoIP use

GP CEO Anders Jensen, who expresses his commitment to run the business of the company in a decent way.

Grameenphone will launch an independent external audit into the company's alleged involvement in illegal international call termination in order to get to the bottom of the scandal that has rocked the country's telecoms sector.
The move comes following a request from Grameenphone's major owner, Norwegian telecoms group Telenor, although GP has yet to appoint the external auditors.
In a statement to The Daily Star yesterday Esben Tuman, communications director of Telenor Asia, said; “Actions like the ones alleged in the BTRC filing are definetely not in line with Telenor's guidelines and codes of conduct.”
“In order to look into this matter in a thorough manner, Telenor brought this topic to Grameenphone's Board of Directors in December 2007, and the Board decided to initiate an independent external audit,” the statement said.
It was revealed on Sunday that Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission had filed a case against 10 former and in-service high officials including two former CEOs of Grameenphone on charge of their involvement in illegal international call termination or VoIP on January 16.
Grameenphone, AccessTel, a local ISP, and Malaysia-based international call carrier DiGi Telecommunications are also on the accused list.
“The case is still under investigation, and we will have to see the outcome of the Bangladeshi authorities' investigation as well as the external audit initiated by Telenor and Grameenphone's board of directors before planning and implementing our actions,” the Telenor statement said.
However, Tuman denied the alleged co-operation between Telenor, Digi Telecommunication and Garmeenphone over the international call termination.
“We do not recognize the alleged co-operation between Telenor, DiGi and Grameenphone as described in media reports the last day,” Tuman said.
Talking to The Daily Star, Syed Margub Murshed, former chairman of BTRC, said, “Definitely it is unfortunate for the telecoms industry that majority mobile operators are allegedly involved in illegal VoIP.”
“I should not comment on the VoIP scandal of Grameenphone since it is now under investigations. If investigation finds Grameenphone links with illegal VoIP, the authorities should take proper action,” Murshed said.
During the eight-day raid staring from December 6, 2007, the RAB officials claimed that they had evidences that GP gave VoIP equipment to AccessTel to run illegal call termination business. The law enforcers found four circuits of E1 technology that connected the GP line with the AccessTel's.
The DiGi Telecommunications has been accused as it has a bilateral deal with the GP to terminate the latter's international call. Norway- based Telenor, the major stakeholder of Grameenphone, is also a shareholder of Digi Telecommunication.
The two former CEOs --Ola Ree and Erik Aas -- left the company in December 2004 and January 2007 respectively. According to the Telenor statement, Ree is now representing Telenor's representative office in Vietnam.
The present CEO Anders Jensen has expressed his commitment to run Grameenphone business in a decent way. He said, “We are co-operating to the full extent with the investigation. Grameenphone will always ensure legal and regulatory compliance in all aspects and act in a way consistent with our values and code of conduct.”