Ethiopia arrests minister, 11 others over corruption
(Reuters) - Ethiopian police have arrested a minister and 11 other people on corruption charges, an official and state media said on Saturday, in the country's most high-profile swoop against graft for more than a
(Reuters) – Ethiopian police have arrested a minister and 11 other people on corruption charges, an official and state media said on Saturday, in the country’s most high-profile swoop against graft for more than a decade.
Businesses in the region regularly complain of corruption as an obstacle to their work. Transparency International ranked Ethiopia 113 out of 176 nations worldwide in its 2012 perception of corruption index, where No. 1 is considered least corrupt.
That ranking puts Ethiopia above most nations in the Horn of Africa and east Africa regions, although Rwanda is ranked 50.
Melaku Fenta, a senior ruling party member and director general of the revenue and customs authority with the rank of minister, was arrested on Friday alongside two other officials from the authority, government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said.
“They were under investigation on suspicion of corrupt practices,” Shimeles told Reuters, without giving details.
The spokesman said there were further arrests as well but did not give a total. The state news agency reported 12 arrests overall. Independently, newspapers said the arrests included a prominent businessman and customs employees outside the capital.
Global Financial Integrity last year said Addis Ababa lost $11.7 billion in outflows of illegal funds in the past decade.
Melaku is the most high profile suspect to be arrested on corruption charges since Siye Abraha, a former defense minister who was released in 2007 after six years behind bars. However, he was already out of government when arrested.
(Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Edmund Blair/Mark Heinrich)
Kabbire May 11, 2013
Though Ethiopian issues belong to Ethiopians to discuss it, it is important to note that Ethiopia is in a better position than many Horn African nations, and far better than Eritrea in upholding the rules of law.
Ethiopia will likely follow the same tradition as before in following the rule of law for these suspects to appear in court and defend themselves which is unheard of in Eritrea.
In Eritrea young people are kept in jail for days, children kidnapped to Arab slavery by officers of the Eritrean regime; journalists, opposition members, reformers, army deserters, ethnic Kunamas … are held indefinitely in jail for more than a decade left to rote in jail.
Eritreans were far better under the repressive regime of Mengistu Hailemariam than the current regime.
A.A YASSIN May 11, 2013
Kabbire=Malisha=Sabbe=Yerihiwo
We know that you are Ethiopian.
Haben May 12, 2013
So what? Kumneger do keytitsiHif?
Genet May 13, 2013
Kabbire
What the hell are you doing here. Are you here to feel good about yourself. I think Ethiopia is doing well. Why don’t you try to better yourself instade of getting in to other peoples’ issue. It is sad for a person to wast his/her time this way.
Get a life.
Genet
H.K May 11, 2013
The fact that “arresting a corrupt officials” has started, it is a big jump on the right direction.
Bravo Ethiopian government!!!
The Eritrean government has no eyes to see, ears to hear, nor brains to think because there is no structure!! One person is doing everything and He leaves criminals run loose and arrest innocent people!!
There cannot be any arrests of the same thing in Eritrea not because they are clean but because there is no law!! No Constitution!!
Cry my motherland for all this injustices!!!
Kalighe May 12, 2013
== A foolish way of doing business with neighbors ==
“Global Financial Integrity last year said Addis Ababa lost $11.7 billion in outflows of illegal funds in the past decade.”
Kabbire, NEW HOPE and few more Tigrayans on this forum have been trying their best to tell us that, Ethiopia is the last Utopia of Democracy on planet.
However, this latest news opens up a tip of an iceberg of Ethiopian underworld business dealings.
It’s true that Eritrea has a brutal regime, but who is to blame ?, why these people have to insult the country and it’s people, unless motivated by boundless hate.
These small men who pose here and on Asmarino as Eritreans, could be Tigrayans who lived for a while in Eritrea, they have too much hate cannot be explained easily.
It’s important to note here that, many issues they raise are divisive and loaded with insults to Eritrea and it’s people. They seem to forget that the dictator and the top most echelon of the fascist regime in Eritrea is made of Tigreyans who suffer from identity crisis.
Needless to say, that Ethiopia is a developing country, like every African country who has just started to experiment with Democracy, it can also fail. But we Eritreans wish them only well and success on their journey to achieve Democracy.
On the other hand, we want our Tigrayan friends to know that, there is a long way for them to go before they can start selling their system to us, they are not yet there. Besides, no one buys a product with insults, it could be a marketing ala ‘Mekele’ but it’s a foolish way of doing business with neighbors.
Dehai May 12, 2013
This News is about Ethiopia arresting some officials (including a Minister) allegedly accusing them of corruption. Though the News has been aired comparing Ethiopia with other countries of the horn of Africa, I don’t take the way people always compare it with Eritrea. I really wonder if Ethiopians can ever see themselves alone without comparing themselves with Eritrea. It is insanity to compare yourself with others to find your status. Ethiopians should stop using Eritrea for comparison.
Ahmed May 12, 2013
Who give a damn over what happen in Ethiopia , it means nothing weather they do better or go to hell. I wonder why people are so excited to say that Ethiopian is better than eritrean. I think we all know its easy to became Ethiopian if that what those people want
daniel May 12, 2013
YOU ARE ARROGANT HIGDEF , IT IS YOUR GOVERNMENT(WEDI AFOM) TALKS ABOUT ETHIOPIA 24/7.THINGS LIKE “WOYANE AND CIA” BULLSHIT HE FEEDS YOU DAY AND NIGHT ,YOU GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ETHIOPIA MORE THAN OTHER ERITREANS.
A.A Yassin May 13, 2013
“I think we all know its easy to became Ethiopian if that what those people want.”
You are right. I would say good riddance.
daniel May 12, 2013
THE GOVERNMENT IN ETHIOPIA IS IN TROUBLE ,THIS IS NOT A BULLSHIT STORY FROM A RANDOM WEBSITE , I FOUND THIS INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHO VISITED THE COUNTRY INCLUDING TIGRAY , AND THINGS ARE NOT LOOKING GOOD FOR THE GOVERNMENT , I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG THEY CAN HOLD OUT. THINGS ARE NOT THE WAY THEY SEEM FROM OUT SIDE .
Adi Grat boy aka wedi Agame May 14, 2013
daniel,AA yassin aka Ali-bako/borko
grow up & face the reality.You guys seems to be suffering from deportation hang over.get over it even you guys are an amices weyanes will allow you to come back to Ethiopia.This is the reality on the ground. check it out. just copy & past
http://www.diretube.com/addis-tv/homeless-youths-towards-growth-video_21022dee4.html
Keih Serawit May 12, 2013
11.7 billion? Ethiopia could be free of debt at this time, but thanks to the heaven of corrupt
EPRDF/TPLF.
The following are few of them.
(1)Pastor Tamrat Laynne from Ethnic Amhara
(2) Siye Abraha from Tigrai
(3)Gebrewahed W. Giorgis from Tigrai and half Eritrea
(3)Nega G. Egziyabher from Tigrai
(4)Asemelash W. Mariam from Tigrai and half Eritrea
Dawit Meconen May 12, 2013
Woyane junta use corruption as a veil to incarcerate and kill people to ease its morbid fear of others. Of course, it could have been long delapidated by the oppressed people if it were not for the underwriters, the Western countries.
But, as the Soviet Union had to abandon Mengistu Haile Mariam high and dry after so many years of futile total support, the Western too will run out of their patience in due time. And in the face of the dwindling economy, I would not be surprised if they do it earlier than later.
ahmed saleh May 13, 2013
Due my respect to the good and righteous Ethiopians I leave the subject to them to handle their affairs in
accordance of rule of law .
At the same time It is sad in our case to witness helplessly all corrupt GENERALS and other higher up officials
run the country as their private owned cooperated financial enterprise out of zero accountability .
A.A Yassin May 13, 2013
Corrupt generals? For your information our generals are very poor even by the standards of the poorest countries in Africa.
Ethiopia is one of the mothers of corruption in the world. Read the facts provided by KEIH SERAWIT:
11.7 billion? Ethiopia could be free of debt at this time, but thanks to the heaven of corrupt
EPRDF/TPLF.
The following are few of them.
(1)Pastor Tamrat Laynne from Ethnic Amhara
(2) Siye Abraha from Tigrai
(3)Gebrewahed W. Giorgis from Tigrai and half Eritrea
(3)Nega G. Egziyabher from Tigrai
(4)Asemelash W. Mariam from Tigrai and half Eritrea
MightyEmbasoyra May 13, 2013
Yassin,
“our generals are very poor even by the standards of the poorest countries in Africa.” Are you kidding me? That tells me you haven’t gone back to Eritrea for a while? Do you know that those corrupted generals laugh at their ex-friends when they see them drinking black label instead of blue label whisky?
These corrupted generals – if you can call them generals (they used to be but not now), forgot their main job and now are the biggest merchants. Just fyi.
A.A Yassin May 13, 2013
Mighty,
You make it look as though we have thousands of generals who drink whiskey which is supposed to be a sign of corruption ( financially). kkkkkkk!! You do not know what corruption is, do you? ab Ethiopia Ugumat bmelayn tserQ ala nsKa dma nTrmuz wiski corruption tbl!! bel ane HawKa ‘ye nUgumatn nweSa’teNatatn kem’u ilka keytnegr – keysHquKa keySerfuKan:: men yfelT SbaH ngho qol’A ‘wn Seba kseti ‘nte r’iKa korapshn ilka key te’wi tefrh iKa!!!
Ethiopia is one of the mothers of corruption in the world. Read the facts provided by KEIH SERAWIT:
11.7 billion? Ethiopia could be free of debt at this time, but thanks to the heaven of corrupt
EPRDF/TPLF.
The following are few of them.
(1)Pastor Tamrat Laynne from Ethnic Amhara
(2) Siye Abraha from Tigrai
(3)Gebrewahed W. Giorgis from Tigrai and half Eritrea
(3)Nega G. Egziyabher from Tigrai
(4)Asemelash W. Mariam from Tigrai and half Eritrea
Ahmed Omer May 13, 2013
I note here some argues and wringing about which regime running the country better than other to be honest all of them the same sheet .from 1979 till now the people in Eritrea and Ethiopia paid a huge price when they was friends and when they became enemies .
The two Ganta (Weyane and Shabia )alliance to kill together Ertirean and Ethiopian alliance .
Every regime in his country did bad job against his own people with different average .
The struggle between the two regime is in who has a more right to control Ethiopian economic because secretly they know themselves they are Ethiopians so please all of you do not tired yourself