DEUTSCHE Telekom AG says its chief executive is one of eight people being investigated over suspected bribery in Macedonia and Montenegro.

Deutsche Telekom said CEO Rene Obermann rejects the accusations and that the company doesn't tolerate corruption. It didn't identify the others.

Telekom said the allegations against Obermann are linked to an alleged meeting with the head of Macedonia's Makedonski Telekom in 2005, in which approval of a dividend for MakTel was supposedly made contingent on there being no further opening of the country's telecommunications market to competitors.

Deutsche Telekom said Bonn prosecutors launched investigation following a request by United States authorities for help in another probe.

It said Deutsche Telekom has cooperated in the US investigation over the past four years and Obermann not a subject or target of that probe. The investigations relate to Hungary's Magyar Telekom.