News: Local admin officials, police officers detained suspected of involvement in west Hararghe killing
The road connecting the area to the capital Addis Abeba was closed for daylong.
Picture: Social Media
Mahlet Fasil
Addis Abeba, August 12/2019 – Seven people, including senior Wereda administrators and police officers, are detained suspected of involvement in killings in West Haraghe zone of Oromia regional state, Jeylan Abdi, federal Police Public Relations Bureau Head, told Addis Standard. They are being investigated by a branch of the federal police.
Ten civilians, including women, were killed, and at least five more were injured on August 08 when gunmen attacked villagers in Bordede Wereda Gumbi kebele, Gimjabet area in West Haraghe zone of Oromia regional state. Members of the national defense force & the federal police were dispatched on the same day and are still patrolling the area, where the road connecting it to the capital Addis Abeba was closed for daylong.
According to Jeylan, the seven officials are Wereda administrators and senior police officers, including head of crime prevention department of the Wereda police bureau. “They are suspected of involvement in the killing that took place on August 08, which involved armed groups,” Jeylan said, adding, the federal police has opened investigations into the killings.
However, Jeylan declined to give the names of the suspects under police custody saying preparations were underway to bring them to a local court “within 48 hours of their detention.” The suspects were detained this morning.
Calm has returned to the area but members of the defense force and the federal police are still patrolling the areas where the killings took place including the surroundings. Community discussions are also taking place and efforts to apprehend other perpetrators were ongoing, he said. “The seven suspects were apprehended due to community cooperation,” Jeylan added. AS
