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After six years of trials, Tamrat Layne, the former
prime minister, and Seye Abreha, ex-defence
minister, along with his younger brother Miherete’ab,
were found guilty by the Federal Supreme Court on
corruption charges on Friday, June 29, 2007. The
third brother, Assefa Abreha, who was also a part of
the inner circle of the ruling party, had been
charged under the same file, but managed to escape
scotch-free.
In July 2002, the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Commission brought forward four cases against Tamrat
and two cases against Seye. Each was found guilty on
one count.
Seye’s younger brother, Assefa, was found not guilty
on the two cases brought by the Commission, whereas
the other young sibling, Mihrete’ab, was found
guilty by the Court on the one case filed by the
Commission.
Convicted for a 16 year prison term, out of which 12
has been served, Tamrat was accused by the
Commission of aiding Kahsay Abay to receive unlawful
gains by importing five used vehicles duty-free
while he was serving office. The two other
defendants, Seye and Assefa were also accused under
this case. However, the Court found the latter two
not guilty of this charge.
The Court accepted the case presented by the
Commission, finding Seye guilty of helping his young
sibling, Mihrete’ab, unlawfully benefit from the
partially sate-owned company, AMCE, and bought 13
trucks at a 19pc discount.
Assefa, who was found innocent on charges under
Tamrat’s file, was found guilty last week on the
charges under another file with Beshahe Azmete,
Fitsumzeab, his brother in-law and Heraier
Behsnilian of Hagbes, that he used the power he was
given by the public to advance unlawful gains.
Tamrat was the founder of the former Ethiopian
People Democratic Movement, one of the off-springs
of EPRDF, and later was chairman and founder of the
Amhara National Democracy Movement. Soon after the
Military regime was ousted by the EPRDF forces, he
served as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia for the
Transitional Government and, when he was arrested in
1998 under suspicion of high-profile graft, he was
the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
Seye, who joined the former Prime Minister four
years after the latter was arrested, was one of the
founders of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF)
and later Defence Minister.
Seye’s sisters, Timinet and Fiseha were also
arrested with him but were subsequently
acquitted.
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