Huawei to Investigate Hacking Allegation

ASIAN telecommunications vendor company, Huawei said it has begun full internal investigation into an allegation that it hacked into many governments official e-mails of South Sudan.

Public Relations Manager of Huawei Nigeria, Mr. Kevin Li told National Mirror that the company is carrying out the investigation to find out there were any infractions by any employee saying that we will take swift action to address them.

“We are carrying out a full internal investigation to ensure that our commitment to ethical business practices have not been violated by any of our employees”, he said. 

Li who made the disclosure while reacting to questions on Huawei’s business operation in Africa said that the company is committed to the development of the telecommunications industry in South Sudan noting that it has been supporting the government and the people of South Sudan in the modernization of the nation’s economy since 2005. 

According to him, “Since then, we have built a record of mutual trust and cooperation with the government, our business partners, and our customers in this important country.  That is a record that we work hard to protect and our efforts to do that include insisting that all our employees respect the laws and regulations of South Sudan and our own Business Conduct Guidelines.”

He disclosed that Huawei’s employees are aware of zero tolerance for any infractions of either the laws and regulations of South Sudan or our own strict governance procedures.

Li stated: “While we are heartened by the statements others in the government have made in the South Sudan media, we do not believe there is basis for the allegations, we take the concerns of the Information Minister very seriously and, as we have informed him and others in the government.”

Last week, the South Sudanese authorities ordered a probe into allegations that Huawei may have hacked into its systems.

 According to the South Sudanese Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth,

Huawei falsely authoured a document on his behalf to the president of Export-Import Bank of China, requesting that funding for its digital migration television project be postponed.

The report alleged that the letter was written on the letter headed paper of the ministry, signed and stamped before it was sent to China.

Lueth in a statement said that, “We are shocked by this Chinese private company unbecoming behaviour, which is tantamount to forgery. Huawei wanted to create confusion between our government and the Chinese.”

 According to him, “I suspect that Huawei has been hacking many government official e-mails and falsifying and forging documents on behalf of the senior government officials.”

 He said further that attempts to summon the company’s managing director or any of its senior staff for explanation on their intention were reportedly unsuccessful denying any request for suspension of funds to support digital migration television project from Export Import Bank of China.

The managing director of Huawei in China has reportedly denied his firm’s involvement.