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With the arrest of a senior official from the
National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), the number of
suspects under police custody in relation to
investigations on alleged gilded gold sold to the
central bank has reached 19.
However only 17 are listed in the appeal made by
Federal Ethics and Anticorruption Commission to the
Federal High Court on Thursday that will be granted
an additional 14 days to continue with the
investigation. The Court has granted the Commission
investigators 12 days on its ruling made on Friday,
February 29.
Attorneys of the suspects requested the Court to
grant their clients bail rights, arguing that they
were put under custody for several days without
progress.
“The time taken for investigation is not small,”
stated the Bench. “Yet considering the complexity of
the issue and what is ahead, an additional
investigation is allowed.”
The Anticorruption Commission has included all cases
relating to the gold scandal in one file. Included
in the file are the charges of employees of the
Ethiopian Geological Survey, Sisay Engeda, Yasin
Imam and Belachew Berissa; and NBE; Ahmed Seid,
Alemayehu Kasahun, Chimdesa Hirpa and Fekadu Lulu.
The primary suspect of the headline scandal, Mudesir
Mohammed Sofam, who is accused of supplying gilded
gold to the Bank, and his brothers Abdurshikur
Mohammed, Nuredin Mohammed, Kaf Mohammed will now
follow their cases within one file.
Fekadu Dafa, staff of
the internal control department at NBE, who was
arrested last week, has also been included in the
latest file with Mesfin Wolde, Mesfin Tesfaye,
Daniel Gezachew and Daniel Wakjira who were arrested
earlier.
One suspect was not included in the file though;
Mukemil Sheriff a.k.a. Mulugeta Mammo Desta. The
Commission has appealed to the Court saying
Abdulshekur has attempted to aid Mukemil to escape.
According to the Commission, Abdulshekur had escaped
to Kenya while the investigation was in progress.
“Sending a picture to the Ethiopian Embassy in
Kenya, he has issued an illegal passport for
Mohammed with a fake name, Kelifa Hassen,” the
Commission stated. “He also has tried to issue a
fake Zimbabwean visa to enable Mohammed to flee to
South Africa.
Mesfin Tesfaye was
apprehended due to this alleged interest-based
friendship he had with Mudesir.
“Sixteen million Br has gone to his pockets,” said
the charge.
Mesfin Wolde was
accused of attaching a photograph on a fake license
prepared for Kefyalew.
According to the Commission, supplying 29 boxes of
phoney gold to NBE, Kefyalew Import Export has
swindled 95 million Br.
“We have taken statements from the suspects. We also
have caught a significant part of the gold and money
including those who were moving the bars,” reported
the Commission.
What is remaining, says the Commission, is following
the gold marketing chain audit that is being carried
out by the Auditor General, chasing two suspects who
escaped with 13 million Br in gold and currency and
taking statements from experts.
The Commission also presented a one-page letter by
the Auditor General.
The suspects from NBE were instructed to sign the
report. However, they have asked to read it first
before adding their signatures.
The police and the Commission have been
investigating the case that has cost Ethiopia 158
million Br since December 2007.
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