ONE of the bidders for the third mobile phone licence said on Wednesday it fears the announcement of the winner could be snagged by a probe into alleged corruption at telecoms watchdog the South Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Dutch-registered Mobile Systems International Cellular Investments Holdings (MSI) said the delay could hit the business plans of those looking to break into the mobile phone industry, currently dominated by MTN and Vodacom. The probing of the regulatory authority by the auditor-general’s office follows recommendations by parliament’s communications portfolio committee which criticised the body for incompetence and defective decision-making. The probe – which is set to focus on the conduct of individual Satra councillors and the watchdog’s activities since 1989 – is expected to take six to eight weeks, potentially overlapping with the announcement of the winning bidder which is expected on or around December 24.