AAGM: Commission Asks to Retract Corruption Charges, Press New Ones.

(From The Daily Monitor (Ethiopia): AAGM)

The proceedings of the corruption case against 12 individuals including former Defence Minister Seye Abraha, his brothers and a sister, former Prime Minister Tamirat Layne, yet again took a sudden twist when the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission yesterday asked The Federal Supreme Court to allow it to retract its pre-trial charges.

In addition, Prosecutor for the Commission Abohay Guadie has submitted a written statement that he intends to press new charges.

The Prosecutor's appeal comes 14 months after the accused have been detained without bail.

It is to be recalled that the Commission, on October 23rd, had pressed charges against 12 people. As per the Court's order, we have later during the trial, made amendments to the charges and submitted them in three separate documents.

However, Ato Abohay went on to say, after having submitted our statements, new substantive evidences have come up. As a result, in order to better support our accusations, in order for the accused to easily and better understand the charges made against them and defend themselves, and to help the Court make its decisions by presenting our case in a manner that is clear and detailed, we have found it necessary to retract previous charges and replace them with new ones, Prosecutor Abohay read to the Court.

This is to be the third time that the same corruption trial has taken a sudden turn.