Police have arrested top heads of Ethio Telecom and the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) on suspicion of corruption.
The suspects include Abraham Guade, deputy manager and head of Sourcing and Facility Division of Ethio Telecom as well as Ephrem Mekuria, head of Communications of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE).
Both suspects appeared before court on Wednesday.
Abraham was arrested on suspicion of corruption and causing loss in government revenue after favoring a tour agency called Kereyou Tour and Travel to rent vehicles to Ethio Telecom with fake manufacturing date and out of the initial deal.
According to police, the telecom official deliberately allowed vehicles manufactured before 2000 to pass the inspection pretending they were manufactured on and after 2000.
In doing so, Ethio Telecom rented 67 vehicles from the agency but police did not mention the amount of loss incurred.
The telecom official was arrested on December 27, 2016 and appeared at the second criminal bench of the federal high court yesterday. (FBC)
Ethiopia harvests 19,181 tons of fish in six months
The Ministry of Livestock and Fishery Development said that about 19,181 tons of fish yield is obtained in the first half of this budget year.
Senior expert of Fish Resources Development with the Ministry, Adefris Kassaye told WIC that Ethiopia has managed to obtain 19,181 tons of fish in the first half of this budget year from its plan of obtaining 24,822 tons.
According to Adefris, the Ministry has provided supports to fishers found in different parts of lakes, dams, rivers and ponds in order to increase productivity in the sector during the last six months.
The Ministry distributed about 406,787 roe in Oromia, Amhara and Southern regional states for farmers, pastoralists and fishers via different roe duplication centers, Adefrese said.
Adefris noted that about 12,732 fishers, farmers and pastoralists are involved and are beneficiaries of the Fish Extension Program during the current budget year.
He added that efforts are exerted for continued participation and benefit of the people in fishery development activities. (WIC)
Africa Business Forum to be holds in Addis
The fifth edition of the Africa Business Forum will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 1, 2017. This will be the second time the event is going to be held in Ethiopia, under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi who is one of the largest investors in Africa, Forbes ranked billionaire and one of Ethiopia’s biggest employer in the private sector.
Prior to the conference, the Africa Business Forum’s B2B Investment Meeting will be held on the 25th January 2017 at the Dubai World Trade Center Tower.
Since its creation in 2014, the forum has become one of the most important bi-annual gatherings in Africa and the Middle East.
A statement from the organizers stressed that the Africa Business Forum presents an invaluable opportunity for investors to connect with clients from across industries and from around the world.
The conference will host distinguished panelists and speakers, including ambassadors, high government officials, business leaders, investors and CEOs,” it added. (Press Release)
University of Toronto starts class in Ge’ez
The University of Toronto (UoT) has begun Ge’ez classes to enable a new generation of students understand the ancient language and access long-lost trove of knowledge.
Ge‘ez is an ancient South Semitic language that originated in the Horn of Africa
This week, Professor Robert Holmstedt of the Department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations welcomed 25 students and members of Ethiopian community in Toronto to the first day of an introductory course on Ge’ez.
With this course, the University of Toronto will become one of the only places in the world where students can learn the fundamentals of Ge’ez, according to a statement on the university’s site.
The program came about through several significant donations, including from The Weeknd, the Ethiopian community and the Faculty of Arts and Science.
Department Chair Professor Tim Harrison has said that he hoped, with continued support, the University of Toronto would eventually add more courses and be positioned to launch the first Ethiopian studies program in North America. (The Ethiopian Herald)
