THREAD: 63 suspects accused of corruption and human rights abuses appeared in court on Monday. 27 of them accused for yrs of embezzlement at METEC while 36 are former officials at the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) implicated in egregious rights violations. 
Ethiopia's Attorney General @BerhanuTsegaye alleges senior leaders of NISS orchestrated the plot to kill PM Abiy in June using paid Oromo agents. Pretext: The killing of the PM, an ethnic Oromo, by an Oromo would give the impression that his own constituents did not support him.
A five-month long investigation by the AG’s office uncovered 7 blacksite-style secret prisons (villas and houses) across Addis Ababa that were used by NISS agents to torture victims —particularly terrorism suspects and political opponents — in order to extract false confessions.
Opposition party members were tortured at the 7 secret dungeons until they withdrew their memberships. Those who refused were severely beaten. Some died from the torture. Suspects were forced to confess to owning illegal weapons and to sign documents admitting to various crimes.
Torture methods: Electric shock, pulling male genitals with pins or hanging bottle waters on them, rape, hanging suspects on a tree and beating them, tying naked suspects to trees and leaving them in the forest overnight, pulling fingernails, putting pen in suspects noses, etc.
Citizens were detained (held) alongside wild beasts. Female interrogators peed on the faces of suspects. Detainees were routinely forced to drink a pee and gang raped. Victims were denied medical attention for life threatening injuries. Some were amputated, paralyzed as a result.
On METEC: internal and external procurement, $2 billions worth in 6yrs, was done without any formal bidding. Traffickers, who’re relatives of government officials and were paid commission, intervened in procurement decisions at times demanding and forcing a 400 % price increase.
METEC imported used cranes from Singapore and China without any bidding (ጨረታ). One of the five cranes is now being used by an individual. Individuals, companies and merchants known as “affiliates” were routinely called by phone to purchase materials at highly inflated prices.
METEC purchased two ships valued at $3.3 million from Ethiopian Shipping Lines at a reduced price — to use the 🚢 to transport heavy metals. It renovated the ships at a cost of $513 million. But it used the ships to transport weapons and other contraband between Somalia and Iran.
The 🇪🇹 flag bearing ships apparently had temporary permits only to move between ports for maintenance. Yet they made several voyages for unknown missions. METEC eventually sold the ships for $2.6 million but the money was never deposited into the company’s corporate account.
METEC allegedly purchased # of airplanes without any formal bid. The private rides were used by government officials, primarily METEC chair Gen. Kinfe Dagew. At least one of the airplane is now untraceable. The extravagant purchase left the agency 24 million birr in the red.
In sum, the detained METEC officials are suspected of money laundering, illegal hotel purchase, organized corruption and other grand thefts. During the operation, police reportedly recovered bombs, other weapons, house deeds and car titles. Many incl. Kinfe still on the loose.
A federal judge on Monday evening denied suspects the right to bail. Investigators
granted 14 days to file charges. To clarify, the aforementioned 36 suspects in the human rights violations case are from the federal police, NISS and federal prison administration. More arrests TK.
granted 14 days to file charges. To clarify, the aforementioned 36 suspects in the human rights violations case are from the federal police, NISS and federal prison administration. More arrests TK.
* 513 million birr not $
