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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia has arrested 63 senior military and intelligence officers accused of corruption and human-rights abuses, the country’s attorney general, Berhanu Tsegaye, said Monday.
The arrests are a rare move against the country’s powerful security apparatus.
They represent a further flexing of power by reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is seeking to break with Ethiopia’s authoritarian past, analysts said.
“Twenty-seven officials have been arrested for alleged corrupt practices, while 36 have been detained for alleged human rights abuses, with a manhunt underway for remaining suspects,” Berhanu said at a press conference.
Berhanu did not name any of the suspects but said some had already been taken to court.
He said the suspected corruption occurred at the military-run Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC).
“METEC officials were involved in purchases of $2 billion (1.8 billion euros) worth of goods without any bidding process,” Berhanu said.
He pointed out that the company had been involved in the construction of Ethiopia’s immense, signature Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Abiy made an unusual public admission earlier this year that security officials had engaged in abuses and torture with impunity.
On Monday, Berhanu outlined some of the allegations of abuse committed at secret prisons in the capital Addis Ababa and elsewhere.
“Detainees were subjected to various abuses including gang rapes, sodomy, prolonged exposure to extreme heat and cold, waterboarding and deprivation of sunlight,” he said.
Berhanu also provided a brief update on the case of a grenade explosion at a June rally addressed by Abiy that left two people dead, saying that an unnamed intelligence officer was suspected of involvement.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is a rear political specie of the African type undertaking a risky business to his government by toughly touching the core of a political pillar in the African political set up because of mere corruption and human rights abuses!!!! if all this is not a state political propaganda then Abiy Ahmed is an African political super hero of his generation as most African leaders and their peers all over the world just sound the rhetoric warnings against corruption and human rights abuses yet they fully facilitate and praise the human rights abusers, reward the corrupt trusted officers with promotions to the most juicy positions where they can freely reap from the national coffers.
Indeed, Ethiopia is becoming a world model as no country has done so in its security establishment in the recent past. Hopefully, all leaders including my own need to emulate the flamboyant, strict , nonsense leader. This will automatically make Africa and a the world a better place to live in with justice and focus on realistic service delivery.
pm dr.abaye is good leader in ethiopa,for the futher so many people arrestede by corruption form federal up to woreda.this idea the beste b/c ethiopa for the futher good captaliste country.