Ethiopia’s former communication minister arrested over corruption allegations

He was arrested by the Amhara regional government at his residence in the capital, Addis Ababa
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ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - NOVEMBER 22: Handover ceremony held at Ethiopian Parliament in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on November 22,2018. The Ethiopian parliament on Thursday appointed Birtukan Mideksa, a law professional who returned from exile a fortnight ago, to lead the electoral board. Minasse Wondimu Hailu / Anadolu Agency

Ethiopian authorities arrested former Communication Minister Bereket Semon in the wee hours of Wednesday from his home in capital Addis Ababa.

Berket was arrested along with Tadesse Kassa, a member of the coalition Amhara National Democratic Movement party, from which both were dismissed in April.

The two politicians are suspected of embezzling funds of Tiret, a company operating across Amhara Region of the country.

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Bereket was regarded as second only to late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in terms of influence in the now defunct Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)-led government that ruled Ethiopia for the past 27 years with an iron fist.

A string of arrests of former officials have come about after the coming in power of reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in April 2017.

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  • Abdulateef Ahmed

    Abdulateef Ahmed, Digital News Editor and; Research Lead, is a self-driven researcher with exceptional editorial skills. He's a literary bon vivant keenly interested in green energy, food systems, mining, macroeconomics, big data, African political economy, and aviation..

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