Zenawi admits corruption at ETC.
Ewnetu Tessema
As reported on July 15, 2007 by Reporter Amharic weekly, Tesfaye Biru and other twenty one high
and middle level management group of ETC during the reign of corruption of Tesfaye Biru era are all dishonorably dismissed
as of July 13, 2007. Actually, Tesfaye Biru was dismissed a year ago. The present decision simply heralded the fact that Tesfaye
Biru will be held liable in a court of law. This is exactly how the wording is framed in the dismissal paper issued on July
15, 2007. The dismissal paper explicitly stated the above idea and it further goes on stipulating in which purchase order
the scandal was committed in each case.
It is to be recalled I wrote an article on the corrupt practice of Tesfaye Biru under the title
TESFAYE BIRU: CORRUPT EXTRAORDINAIRE. I discussed in that article all the corrupt practices at the ETC. Meles Zenawi has been
all the way saying “neftegnas trying to defame our bureaucrats”. Meles Zenawi openly promised Tesfaye Biru
that he has all his support and should ignore all corruption whistle blowers reporting about ETC’s corrupt practice.
All corruption whistle blowers at ETC were dismissed, imprisoned with a trumped up charges or transferred to a thorny duty
station. I remember a terrible devilish act of Tesfaye Biru. A senior guy in the ETC objected to Tesfaye Biru’s handling
of business at ETC. This disagreement between Tesfaye Biru and this senior guy culminated when Tesfaye Biru ordered this guy
to sign on a 40 Million USD worth project document whereas the bid was only for 10 Million USD. This person refused to sign
on that document. Tesfaye Biru immediately ordered the transfer of this person to a far away place while the person was very
senior who served ETC for over 20 years. I think that senior person is still working in that far away place for no one came
on his rescue. This senior person is a sole bread winner at home and had to obey order. All the then Board members of
ETC supported Tesfaye Biru’s devilish act. Now, after five years, the government of Zenawi openly said, Tesfaye Biru
is a thief”. Well, it is one step forward. I appreciate and wish to commend them for embracing the truth though reluctantly
and very late i.e. after nearly 5 years. And yet, it is still clear that there is too much cover up. Tesfaye Biru was allowed
to discreetly depart from Ethiopia . Many experts at the Anti Corruption Commission
officially requested Tesfaye Biru should not be allowed to leave Ethiopia
. But for some high profile present and ex politicians like Kassu Illala, Haile Asegde and Getachew Belai this was not
acceptable. They facilitated his discreet departure to protect themselves.
The ETC’s “story” initially tried look like about a high profile politician
obsessed with a man called Tesfaye Biru and turned his back to all who told him this guy is a thief. It all seemed a”love
story”between Tesfaye Biru and big cats like Meles Zenawi, Getachew Belai etc. Then it's about high profile politicians
trying to defend themselves for they were/are the architects of the corrupt practice at the ETC, then it's about corruption,
then it's about even more corruption, to the point where the momentum crumbles under its own weight. The undeniable truth
that created the story was a series of broad day light robbery each episode giving a peculiar twist in the story, wherein
each twist was when we discovered that someone who some thought was good, was actually not as good or innocent as some thought.
This is just for some naïve professors at the University and very few employees of ETC.
Our Anti Corruption Team /ACT/ is trying to contact Interpol and anti corruption activists in
Europe and America to do something about our looted money which is currently
stashed in Germany and America
banks. This is a very remote chance that we get back our money. And yet, we try our best. I appeal to all Ethiopians at home
and abroad to follow this blood sucker to his grave.
Ewnetu Tessema can be reached for comment at gce_etc@yahoo.com
