Law firm Webber Wentzel is challenging a raid on its offices by the Hawks on various grounds, including legal privilege, notes Legalbrief. The Hawks raided the offices of the firm and cellphone service provider MTN last week, in the latest development in the decade-long battle between MTN and Turkcell over service provision in Iran, says a Fin24 report.

The investigation, ongoing since 2012, was initiated following claims by Iranian cell service provider Turkcell, which has accused MTN of bribing Iranian government officials to secure a lucrative operating licence to provide services in Iran in 2004. Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed the raids happened on Friday, adding that documents and equipment were seized at both offices.

Webber Wentzel said it was taking the legality of the warrant under legal review. ‘As a law firm, we are professionally prevented from providing any third party with information related to our clients' matters. This is a requirement of our profession,’ Webber Wentzel reportedly said.

It confirmed the Hawks arrived at its Sandton offices armed with a warrant on Friday ‘to seize documents related to a client involved in ongoing commercial litigation’.

‘We are reviewing the lawfulness of the warrant and its execution by the Hawks on various grounds, including legal privilege. We ensured that the documents and information taken were sealed and will be kept by an independent third party, nominated by us, pending the outcome of an application to the High Court. We will ensure that our client's rights are protected and that legal privilege, which is a key principle to our profession, is upheld.’ MTN said it was co-operating fully with the Hawks and that it ‘continues to defend itself in the long-running litigation in which Turkcell is claiming damages’.

MTN maintains that Turkcell's claim is without merit.

Full Fin24 report