Ethiopia Corruption Crackdown: Around 45 top level government officials arrested
The Ethiopian government has been cracking down on the the vice of corruption in the country. Over the last month alone, federal law enforcement officials have arrested close to 45 high government officials, including ministers level. The arrests were linked to huge multi-million dollar embezzlement and corruption cases.
It’s suspects of embezzlement, bribery and corruption who are detained by the Ethiopian federal law enforcement authorities. Most of the suspects are top officials, some even at the level of state minister working for government offices like the Federal Roads Authority, Ethiopian Sugar Corporation, Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation as well as the Addis Ababa Roads Authority and Housing Development Agency. And so far close to 45 of these officials have been put under arrest pending trials.
The government said if the growing corruption cases are not addressed on time they will impose more threat on the nation’s economic growth. And the ongoing crackdown is based on the year long deep reform measures, reports of the federal auditor general, public complaints and tips from whistle blowers.
Apart from government officials, many business people and brokers have also been detained because of their involvement in what is reported to be a multi-million dollars nation-wide corruption chain.
People here are happy with what is being done to fight corruption. But they also want to see corruption and bribery prevention works to be done to minimise the damage on public resources.