A defense engineering student along with 16 accomplices were charged under Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism proclamation for allegedly plotting to bomb the national air force radar as well as the engineering college in Bishoftu town of the Oromia Regional State.
According to the charge sheet the Federal Attorney General filed before the Federal High Court 16th Criminal Bench, the first suspect, identified as Mulu Belete, was a defense engineering student residing in Bishoftu town.
The charge indicated that the suspect (Mulu) and his 15 accomplices were recruited by a member of the outlawed Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), known as Diribsa Damtie, while the main architect of the plot was Jawar Mohamed, the executive director of the US-based Oromo Media Network.
In addition, according to the charge, having received close to 50,000 birr from Jawar, Diribsa was under preparation to go to the bushes to receive military and political trainings that would enable his to launch war against the government.
The charge sheet also stated that Diribsa used to live in a rental house around Nifas Silk Lafto Sub City with the over 22,000 birr financial assistance he had received from an OLF member residing in the Netherlands.
He was also accused of recruiting youth from Western Shoa, Eastern Shoa and Addis Ababa Surrounding Zones of Oromia region as well as from Jigjiga areas of the Somali Regional State.
The suspects were accused of agreeing to bomb the main target—the air force radar and the defense engineering college—as well as other facilities including a helicopter fuel station and a bus station in the town.
It was also indicated in the charge that the defense engineering student who was also a member of the OLF was set to launch the bomb attack before it detonated in his own hand and eventually caused injuries.
