Update: Government Minister, Businessmen Appear in Court on Corruption Chrages

By Associated Press

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — An Ethiopian court ruled Tuesday that prosecutors have two weeks to finalize corruption charges against two dozen people who have been arrested, including a senior Cabinet minister.

The 24 people charged include the head of Ethiopia’s revenue and customs authority, Melaku Fenta. They are accused of illegal trading and tax evasion.

Ethiopia’s top anti-corruption official, Ali Sulaiman, told parliament Tuesday that the suspects had been under surveillance for over two years.

Read more at The Washington Post.
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Tax Chiefs Arrested for Corruption

(Photo: Walta)

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Monday, May 13, 2013

Addis Ababa – A Minister and his deputy in charge of the Revenues and Customs Authority, as well as a number of business owners, investors and middlemen were among some two dozen people held on corruption charges in Ethiopia last week.

“Melaku Fenta, the director general of the revenue and customs was arrested on Friday alongside two other officials from the authority,” government spokesman Shimeles Kemal told the media.

Ethiopia ranks 113 out of 176 countries in the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International.

Per Reuters ” that ranking puts Ethiopia above most nations in the Horn of Africa and east Africa regions, although Rwanda is ranked 50.”

Regarding the accused, “they were under investigation on suspicion of corrupt practices,” Shimeles told Reuters, without giving details.

Ethiopian Business and Lifestyle