Multiple civil suits were filed against Askallukan Trading Plc, its vice manager, Girmay Gebremichael, and his wife, Menna Terefe, who was also the general manager of the company, by people claiming to have been defrauded out of a trip to South Africa for the FIFA World Cup.

Askallukan Trading ran a promotional campaign, wherein the company claimed to possess 10,000 guaranteed visas to South Africa, for several months. It offered people a package that included a ticket for the match of their choice, a roundtrip airplane ticket and a five-day hotel stay with meals included, all for 37,582.65 Br. However, the majority of the around 1,200 applicants were denied visas by the South African embassy.

Nine civil suits, with a total claim of close to 12 million Br, had been filed against Askallukan, Girmay, and Menna at the Federal High Court by around 310 people by Thursday, July 15, 2010.

The first suit, in which 36 people are claiming compensation of a little over 1.3 million Br, was filed on June 25, 2010. The plaintiffs, without being represented by a lawyer, filed a summary proceeding through forma puperis (not having to pay court fees). They prepared three witnesses who would testify that they do not have enough money to pay the court fees, which is estimated to be around 27,000 Br.

The court already passed an injunction order on three vehicles, a residence, bank accounts at Wegagen Bank, a store in Zequala Wereda in Amhara Regional State, and a cattle breeding farm in Adama in Oromia Regional State.

As a result of the injunction order, two Wegagen Bank accounts, in the names of Hospitality Package Plus and Askallukan Trading Plc, were blocked, according to a letter sent to the court from the bank on July 8, 2010. These two accounts, opened at the Hailegiorgis branch, were the only ones the bank could find belonging to the accused, the statement said.

During the first adjournment of the case on July 14, 2010, in which the defendants were not present to contest the application of the plaintiffs through forma puperis, the court questioned how the three witnesses could testify for all of the plaintiffs, who came from various parts of the country. The judge granted the plaintiffs two days to sort out the issue relating to the court fee and the three witnesses.

A day later, close to 300 people who had bought the package held a peaceful march from Meskel Square to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), around Bambis area. Some of them claimed to have had their visas cancelled days after it was granted to them by the South African embassy. Along with Girmay and his co accused, the demonstrators blamed the media for the coverage it gave to Askallukan's package through advertisements, interviews, and articles. Wegagen Bank, where payments were made into Askallukan's accounts, was also blamed for allegedly allowing the money to be withdrawn. They also blamed government ministries, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) for allegedly endorsing Askallukan's package.

Leuel Kahsay, state minister of the MoJ, addressed the crowd gathered in front of the main gate of the ministry.

"The ministry is making an effort to bring the culprits to justice through the proper legal channels," he said in a short speech. "You should have been careful."

Leuel advised them to elect representatives to follow their case.

A few representatives chosen from the crowd also had a closed meeting with officials of the MoJ and voiced their concern about their inability to pay the court fees and the delay in the justice system. They were told to present a list of names of the claimants, according to one of the representatives.

A criminal investigation by the Arada police commission is already underway on four individuals, including Menna and three employees of the company who are in custody after being denied bail. Girmay, the director general of the company, is yet to be found.

Close to 300 demonstrators stage a sit in on the street in front of the Ministry of Justice waiting for someone from that ministry to come out and pay heed to their complaints.

Suicide bombings at an Ethiopian restaurant owned by Mame Mengesha as well as at a rugby club in Kampala, Uganda, killed 76 people on July 11, 2010. An insurgent group in Somalia linked with al-Qaeda, known as al-Shabab, took credit for their first attack outside of Somalia. One Ethiopian and six Eritreans, who were watching the World Cup finals at Ethiopian Village Restaurant, died. Among the many spectators at the restaurant were two of Fortune's fellow journalists, who escaped unscathed. Here follow two personal and revealing accounts of the restaurant attack, as only firsthand experiences can give.