Ex intelligence chief sentenced to ten years

Woldeselassie Woldemichael 

Ethiopia’s High Court on Tuesday sentenced the country’s former intelligence chief Woldeselassie Woldemichael to ten years imprisonment and a fine of $2300 for abuse of office and corruption.Woldeselassie was charged by the country’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission with abusing power and generating wealth from unknown sources.

He was charged on 12 counts and found guilty on seven of them.

According to the charges, the defendant used his position to have a book he had written be sponsored by printers.

Additional charges include unpaid tax on the profit he made from the book.

He was also charged with using his power to get an Italian made ceramics worth $3,095 from a businessman.

Woldeselassie Woldemichael, a close confidante of the wife of Ethiopia’s late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was arrested in 2013 after he was accused of siphoning off state funds.

He had always denied the charge.