Ethiopia arrests ex-govt minister Bereket Simon over corruption
(africanews)—Ethiopia’s former Communication Minister, Bereket Simon, has been arrested by the federal government at his residence in the capital, Addis Ababa, multiple news sources, state and private, have reported.
Simon is also a founding member of the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front, EPRDF. Multiple local mdia channels are reporting that his arrest is in connection with corruption.
Another arrested official is Tadesse Kassa, a former top civil servant. Simon was a member of the Amhara regional bloc in the EPRDF.
CONFIRMED: Former Communications Minister and Meles Zenawi right hand man Bereket Simon, has been arrested for corruption. At his peak he was among the most powerful men in #Ethiopia and a core component of the EPRDF government’s inner ruling circle. pic.twitter.com/RaSzft8VhU
— Zecharias Zelalem (@ZekuZelalem) January 23, 2019
His party, now the Amhara Democratic Party ousted him from executive committee membership.
Bereket resigned his position in government in October 2017 at the time as an advisor in charge of Policy Studies and Research to ex Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
Later in December, the state-affiliated FBC reported that Bereket like then Parliament Speaker Abadula Gemeda, had rescinded their resignations. He eventually exited after Abiy came to power in April 2017.
This Wikileaks cable describes Bereket Simon as having been among Meles Zenawi’s closest advisors. In the aftermath of Meles’ death, he was believed by many to be the man truly pulling the strings as Hailemariam Desalegn was named Prime Minister. #Ethiopiahttps://t.co/RAXb3CJBvP pic.twitter.com/PPGWCJzcTG
— Zecharias Zelalem (@ZekuZelalem) January 23, 2019