The FBI has called on anyone with the right information to come forward to help it with its ongoing investigation into alleged shenanigans at telecoms giant MCI.

In what is being described as an unusual step, the FBI's computer crime unit issued a statement yesterday asking for further information concerning allegations that MCI improperly rerouted long-distance calls in the US and Canada in order to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars in access fees to other phone companies.

Earlier this month MCI - the troubled telecoms group formerly known as Worldcom - published details of an internal investigation in which it claimed that the allegations, originally made by AT&T, were groundless.

Instead, it said that the AT&T's claims were merely an attempt to "delay and derail" MCI's exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Separately, MCI today announced the appointment of Richard R Roscitt as its president and COO.

Reporting to chairman and CEO, Michael Capellas - he of Compaq/HP merger fame - Roscitt has worked in the telecoms industry for more than 30 years including president of AT&T Business Services and president and CEO of AT&T Solutions. ®

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