Ethiopia arrests minister, 11 others over corruption

Melaku Fenta, Director of Customs Revenue Authority Minister

May 11, 2013 (Reuters) – Ethiopian police have arrested a minister and 11 other people on corruption charges, an official and state media said on Saturday, in the country’s most high-profile swoop against graft for more than a decade.
Businesses in the region regularly complain of corruption as an obstacle to their work. Transparency International ranked Ethiopia 113 out of 176 nations worldwide in its 2012 perception of corruption index, where No. 1 is considered least corrupt.
That ranking puts Ethiopia above most nations in the Horn of Africa and east Africa regions, although Rwanda is ranked 50.
Melaku Fenta, a senior ruling party member and director general of the revenue and customs authority with the rank of minister, was arrested on Friday alongside two other officials from the authority, government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said.
“They were under investigation on suspicion of corrupt practices,” Shimeles told Reuters, without giving details.
The spokesman said there were further arrests as well but did not give a total. The state news agency reported 12 arrests overall. Independently, newspapers said the arrests included a prominent businessman and customs employees outside the capital.
Global Financial Integrity last year said Addis Ababa lost $11.7 billion in outflows of illegal funds in the past decade.
Melaku is the most high profile suspect to be arrested on corruption charges since Siye Abraha, a former defense minister who was released in 2007 after six years behind bars. However, he was already out of government when arrested.

 http://ayyaantuu.com/horn-of-africa-news/ethiopia/ethiopia-arrests-minister-11-others-over-corruption/

Hailemariam Fires Justice Minister

Brehan Hailu_lost his job as Minister of Justice

Justice Minister Brehan Hailu has been fired from his job on Friday, May 10, 2013, reliable sources disclosed to Fortune. Brehan has received a letter from the Prime Minister’s Office, signed by Hailemariam Desalegn, late on Friday, according to these sources. Brehan has been serving in this capacity since 2005. He was moved to Justice after his previous ministry, Ministry of Information, was dissolved by law.

However, the decision to remove the Minister from Office has come as little surprise in the government circle. He has lost his position in the powerful executive committee of the ruling EPRDF, when elections were held back in March 2013. He was under fire during a convention of his party, the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), held in Bahir Dar in March, held as a prelude to the EPRDF congress, which was held  in the same city.

Seconded by a member to the central committee seat in the ANDM, Brehan was harshly criticized by the bigwigs of the party for his failure and incompetence while serving at the Justice Ministry.

Brehan has not been immediately available for comment, despite Fortune’s repeated attempts.

source:  http://addisfortune.net/breaking-news/hailem-fires-justice-minister/