Addis Fortune (Addis Ababa)
Wudineh Zenebe
25 March 2008
Addis Ababa — The Office of the Prime Minister has called off a directive issued by Brehane Deressa, the Mayor of Addis Abeba, regarding the treatment of city officials who have been released on bail after being charged with corruption. The mayor had thought of reinstating such officials back to their position. He had formed a committee which would determine the fate of such city officials.
The instruction to suspend the Directive was issued on March 12 in a letter signed by Berhanu Adelo, head of the Prime Minister's Office. According to the letter, the directive issued on March 4 this year, has been repealed on the grounds that the revised charter of the city does not entitle the mayor the authority to circulate such directives.
The previous charter of the city was revised in 2002 during the city administration led by Arkebe Oqubay, former mayor of the city, who is now the state minister of Works and Urban Development.
Since late last year, the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC) have been cracking down on senior administrative officials as well as the rank and file officials that are alleged to have been involved in any kind of corruption. Over sixty have now been arrested and charged.
However, there has not been a directive that states the disciplinary measures that should be made against these suspects who choose to report to duty following their release on bail. According to the latest directive, it is for this reason that the mayor formed a five-man committee that could investigate the return of some officials and civil servants of the city accused by the Commission.
Members of the dissolved committee were Amare Shibeshi, Deputy Bureau Head of Capacity Building, Zegeye Yemaneberhan, Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission, Woldesenbet Berhanemeskel, Deputy Head of the Legal and Justice Bureau, Daniel Aseffo, Deputy General Manager of the Land Development and Administration Authority and Yohannes Andarge, Deputy Head of the Information and Culture Bureau.
According to one member of the city cabinet, when the agenda to issue a directive was tabled at the cabinet meeting, there were views both against it and in favour of it. Those who were against the directive referred to a discussion Prime Minister Meles had had three months ago with residents of the city and forum members concerning officials accused of abusing their position.
Prime Minister Meles had stated that officials suspected of transferring plots in shady deals should not be allowed back into office until their case had reached a conclusion and they had been found not guilty.
"This is a directive by itself," argued one cabinet member. "Any directive against this is invalid."
On Friday of last week, the mayor told Fortune that he has agreed with authorities at the federal level to suspend the directive until an across-the-board directive is issued by the federal government.
The establishment of the committee would have enabled the mayor to enroll, sack, transfer and demote officials on bail.
Mayor Brehane went abroad wanting his new committee to do a decent job but he came back only to find out that the committee had become toothless.
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