News: Police in West Gondar zone arrests man attempting to smuggle 21 people into Sudan in ambulance vehicle

Addis Abeba –   The West Gonder Zone Justice Division announced that it has apprehended a driver who tried to smuggle 21 people into Sudan in an ambulance. Quara Woreda Health Bureau Secretariat was referenced as having said the driver had appeared in court. 

The defendant, Nigussie Mekonnen, picked up the 21 people (from Oromia and SNNPR), brought by different brokers, at Kinebi kebele and made their way in an ambulance that belongs to the Quara health bureau. The driver drove past a security checkpoint in the Alemu Ber area, Gelagu town, as per the police investigations. 

Even though the security forces had fired shots, the ambulance had already broken past  the checkpoint by which point the defendant was able to disperse and hide the 21 people into the forest  and empty houses, however both the defendant and the 21 people being smuggled were finally caught. 

The Quara Woreda Investigative Police Bureau reviewed the criminal investigation file and sent it to the Prosecutor of the West Gondar Zone Department of Justice. The zonal prosecutor, after reviewing the file, charged the suspects on two counts,  “illegal human-trafficking and corruption”, on Wednesday at the Supreme Court of the said zone.

At the court hearing held yesterday, after listening to the charge file, the defendant  argued that he had not committed the alleged crime. The Prosecutor, in its part, requested the court to hear its witnesses and said it proved that the suspect had committed the crime on the basis of witnesses and documented evidence. 

The West Gondar court, after hearing the two sides arguments, adjourned the next hearing for June 9th of 2022 for final verdict. AS