Addis Fortune (Addis Ababa)
Issayas Mekuria
3 March 2008
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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