Not long after he resigned as a policy advisor to the prime minister and minister of policy research institute, Bereket Simon is facing an investigation in connection with corruption.
A four-star hotel in Addis Ababa’s affluent neighborhood, Bole, close to Ethiopia’s number one International Airport is the center of the investigation. The hotel is said to be still under construction. borkena also learned that Bereket is under investigation for ownership of other properties that are said to be registered under the names of other individuals.
In regards to the hotel investigation, ESAT, the news source, wrote the following :
- The Doubletree Hotel, managed by the Hilton, is registered under the name of Teka Asfaw a former prosecutor, who is now legal advisor to Mohammed Al Amoudi, the Ethiopian born Saudi business tycoon. The wife of Asfaw, Fikremariam Belay, owns 30% of the ownership of the 106 room hotel, that costs 12 million dollars. The hotel is scheduled to begin operation in June.
Bereket Simon’s wife, Asefu Fente, who allegedly owns a printing press and other properties are also under investigation for suspicious financial sources.
ESAT cited internal sources to report that Bereket’s resignation is triggered by a powerful faction within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. As well, Bereket’s investigation for corruption is ordered by the same powerful faction within the TPLF – according to ESAT’s report.
The alleged fight against corruption within the ruling party rather brought about the unintended consequence of political division than unifying the party. At the core of the problem, from what is often times discussed on social media, is that officials connected to real power within the dominant party, TPLF, are getting away with colossal corruption scandals.
Bereket Simon’s investigation is so far not reported by government and affiliated media outlets in Ethiopia.
He was one of the few influential officials within the ruling circle and wielded power for decades even if he was rather fielded as minister of information and government communication minister after the rebel group took power following the fall of the military government. Read more here
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