Mekelle- The Tigray Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release of over 500 million birr from the Regional Bureau of Finance's account at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia to cover unpaid salaries for teachers across the region.
The ruling comes a week after the court temporarily froze the bank accounts of the Tigray Interim Administration, following revelations that the administration held approximately 500 million birr in one account and about 10 million birr in another under the Federal Ministry of Finance--despite owing teachers 17 months of unpaid wages. The case, filed by the Tigray Teachers' Association in August 2024, ultimately led to the account freeze to prevent further withdrawals.
During the latest hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors argued that the Interim Administration had deliberately delayed salary payments, citing federal budget constraints and alleging that funds were improperly withdrawn from the Education Bureau's account despite the freeze order.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed the claims, stating that the disputed funds had already been used to pay government employees in June 2025 and had not been moved afterward. The court further confirmed that the salary payments were legitimate and lawfully processed.
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The court rejected the administration's argument that the frozen funds were needed for "administrative purposes," ruling the justification insufficient. The court then ordered the immediate release of 500 million birr to settle the teachers' overdue salaries.
Additionally, the court instructed prosecutors to submit a detailed breakdown of how the funds will be distributed among teachers and to provide an inventory of any related assets. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for 06 August, 2025, to review compliance.
