Court Rejects Kinfe Dagnew et.al Objections, Other METEC Officials Charged for Corruption

Addis AbabaFeburay 22/2019 The Federal High Court has rejected today most of the objections to the 7 charges made by the Federal Attorney General against 8 defendants, including the former Head of the Metals & Engineering Corporation (METEC) Major General Kinfe Dagnew.

The Attorney General had filed charges against 5 METEC officials and 3 private businesspersons for alleged grand corruption on January 10, 2019.

At the Federal High Court Lideta 15th Criminal Bench, 7 counts of corruption charges with total of over 319 million 475 thousand birr were brought by the attorney general.

The defendants are Major General Kinfe Dagnew, Brigadier General Tena Kurndi, Colonel Dessie Zeleke, Colonel Getnet Gudya, Colonel Goitom Kebede, and Mr. Chernet Dana, Ms. Eleni Birhan and Mr. Remedan Mussa.

From the 7 objections brought by the defendants, the court rejected the five and ordered the Attorney General to improve and file the two charges by March 5, 2019.

Meanwhile, the Federal Attorney General has brought corruption charges against Major Kindeya Girmay and other METEC officials and employees today.

The alleged culprits include METEC Industry Human Resources Head Lieutenant Colonel Setegn Kahsay, Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Kebede, Major Fitsum Atsbha, Major Waltanigus Tesfaw, Captain Winta Beyene, and Importer Wolday Gebremariam.

It was alleged that the suspects had caused over 71.6 million birr damage on the government.

The defendants allegedly conspired with the importer Wolday Gebremariam to embezzle money from a contract signed with Ethiopian Electric Power Service to provide three phase terminal connectors.

To do so, officials of the corporation violated the procurement guideline and blocked the winner of the international bid announced on February 14, 2016 in The Ethiopian Herald newspaper.