Ethiopia arrests ex-govt minister Bereket Simon over corruption

TPLF bigwig Bereket Simon arrested

Ethiopia arrests ex-govt minister Bereket Simon over corruption

By Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban | Africa News

Ethiopia’s former Communication Minister, Bereket Simon, has been arrested by the Amhara regional government at his residence in the capital, Addis Ababa, multiple news sources, state and private, have reported.

Simon is also a founding member of the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front, EPRDF. Multiple local media channels are reporting that his arrest is in connection with corruption.

Another arrested official is Tadesse Kassa, a former top civil servant. Simon was a member of the Amhara regional bloc in the EPRDF.

Zigale Gebeyehu, head of the regional anti-corruption bureau told local journalists that Bereket and Tadesse were detained on suspicion of corruption and that both are now held in police custody in BahirDar city, the capital of the region.

His party, now the Amhara Democratic Party ousted him from executive committee membership.

Bereket resigned his position in government in October 2017 at the time as an advisor in charge of Policy Studies and Research to ex Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

Later in December, the state-affiliated FBC reported that Bereket like then Parliament Speaker Abadula Gemeda, had rescinded their resignations. He eventually exited after Abiy came to power in April 2017.

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Police Arrest Bereket Simon And Tadesse Kassa On Suspicion Of Corruption

By FBC

Police have detained Bereket Simon and Tadesse Kassa on suspicion of corruption.

They were taken into custody this morning for wasting funds while running Tiret Corporate, said Zigale Gebeyehu, Commissioner of Amhara Regional State Anti-corruption Commission.

The two suspects were taken to Bahir Dar, the capital of the regional state, from their residences in Addis Ababa, he told journalists.

Their trial will be conducted in the regional state where the crime was committed, he said.

The Commission has gathered more than enough evidences to file charges against the suspects, the Commissioner said.

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