The dramatic chop off continues on Ethiopian Revenue
and Customs Authority Natheret branch employee Melkamu Endris,WAW Transit CEO
Almaz Kebede, Dawit Mekonen and Degu Habicho. As a result, the number corruption related detainees has now become 54.
Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission
(FEACC) said the suspects illegally allowed contra bands to enter Addis Ababa
by secretly. They worked as an accomplice with illegal Merchandisers and contra
bandits, FEACC says.
A few weeks back police arrested the director of ERCA,
Minister Melaku Fanta, his deputy, Gebrewahid Woldegiorgis, the head of
prosecution of the agency, Eshetu Woldesemayat, and many high level officials
of the ERCA. The wife of Gebrewahid Woldegiorgis, his son, his nephew, his
sister-in-law and her son were also arrested while hiding evidences.
Top businessmen including owner of KK trading PLC,
Keteme Kebede, owner of Intercontinental Addis, Semachew Kede, CEO of Addis
Cardiac Hospital, Fikru Maru (MD), brother of Siye Aberha Mihreteab Abraha were
also arrested. Mihreteab is being arrested for corruption for the second time.
He was imprisoned with his brother Siye Abraha and other family members in 2000
and was released after five years in prison in 2005. The owner of Netsa PLC,
Netsanet Gebregziabher is also now under police custody.
The crackdown continued to Markiehe Alemayehu, a
prosecutor in charge for major tax evasion, illegal banking, money laundering,
cases involving prominent businessmen like Ayat CS, Ayalew Debela, Asmelash
Woldemariam, who worked at several levels of ERCA and resigned a year ago, is
also a suspect who joined his former colleagues in prison. In general, FEACC
investigators with the help of Internal security agency has detained 50
corruption suspects.
Police searched the houses of the suspects and
showed on ETV huge amount of money, several title deeds, electronics equipment
(which appeared to be eight laptops and one iPod) and other related to the case.
The search was made in the presence of the suspects and other observers, the
police said. Accordingly, with Gebrewahid Woldegiorgis, 200 thousand birr in
cash, 26 thousand Euro, Pound and notes of other countries were found, as well
as title deeds of Lagedadi Lagetafo area. One million 947 thousand, 675 birr
was found in cash in the house of Asmelash Woldemariam.
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