News: Amhara region Supreme Court rules high level corruption suspects should begin to defend case
Mahlet Fasil
Addis Abeba, November 01/2019 – Amhara regional state Supreme Court ruled this morning that defendants Bereket Simon and Tadesse Kassa should begin presenting defense statements against prosecutor’s high-level corruption charges.
The two former high level government and party owned conglomerate officials respectively, were charged on suspicion of embezzling more than 2.2 billion birr in their roles at Tiret Corporate, a conglomerate owned by Amhara Democratic Party (ADP).
At a hearing in April this year the court denied both suspects a motion for bail as prosecutors pressed four separate high-level corruption charges; both remained in prison in the regional state’s capital Bahir Dar.
During the last hearing in the first week of October, prosecutors have submitted additional 141 pages of document as evidence to the already filed charge sheets detailing the alleged corruption case against the two.
The court adjourned the next hearing for December 04/2019.
The police have arrested Bereket Simon, founding member of the ruling EPRDF who also severed in several high level party and government positions, and Tadesse Kassa, A.K.A. Tinkishu, former TIRET Corporate CEO, on January 23/2019 from their houses in Addis Abeba. They have since been transferred to Bahir Dar where they were subsequently charged with high-level corruption. AS
Source: AS archive/FBC/DW Amharic.
