Telenor has banned ZTE from participating in tenders for new business opportunities for the next six months, following an alleged breach of Telenor’s code of conduct, the firm said.
“We have suspended ZTE from participating in tenders and new business opportunities for a period of six months ending March 3 next year,” Telenor spokesman Dag Melgaard said on Monday.
“The move is based on a breach of Telenor’s code of conduct in relations to a procurement process,” he said, declining to give further details about the incident. The suspension extends to all of Telenor's international operations, which spreads all throughout Northern Europe, Eastern Europe and Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Thailand in Asia Pacific.
Significantly, Melgaard refused to disclose any details about the nature of the breach, or which tender process it referred to. However, an industry source has claimed to Light Reading that ZTE representatives allegedly attempted to bribe Telenor officials in the course of a recent business tender.
ZTE had been mired in controversy regarding the approval of a nationwide broadband network deal worth US$329.4 million that erupted in the Philippines early last year. Allegations of massive pay-offs from ZTE had driven the country into political chaos, said earlier reports.
In its defence over the current Telenor fiasco, ZTE said the problem was caused by a rogue employee.
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