ADDIS ABABA – The Attorney General Office announced that it is making a wide-range of preparations to repatriate the national wealth stolen and stashed away in foreign countries by corrupt individuals.
Office Corporate Communication Director Zinabu Tulu told The Ethiopian Herald that for many years, Ethiopia’s wealth had been illegally trafficked out of the country and accumulated in foreign countries. The government has been making a wide-range of preparations since the onset of the reform in order to repatriate the wealth.
Accordingly, a strategy has prepared to tackle corruption and identify the current status of the stolen wealth, the corrupt individuals and in which country or bank it was deposited.
After identifying the countries, the Office has been striving to establish strong diplomatic relations and made bilateral discussions taking international laws into account. All the countries have assured their readiness to expose corrupt individuals and agreements were signed with some countries for the repatriation of the wealth. Efforts are well underway to reach similar agreements with other countries.
Previously, there was no organized effort to repatriate the country’s stolen wealth. Apart from preparing a strategy and road map, the government has now established an institutional arrangement and set up a directorate that runs the process.
“Now, we are finalizing all the necessary preparations.” As the court handles the case, Zinabu did not disclose as to which countries are cooperating with Ethiopia in the asset recovery process and the amount of wealth gone so far.
Indicating the Office is already identified the location of the wealth and suspects behind the crime; he said the criminals will be held liable. Citing the complexity of the task, the office pledged to publicize the names of the countries and the information at hand when the investigation process is finalized.
According to him, the country’s wealth had been trafficked to other countries by the direct involvement of government officials through establishing legal ground within the government structure, and investors who were cooperative in transporting the money.
Through having a thorough discussion with some countries, it was made possible to freeze the wealth in some financial institutions, he added. Absence of experience in repatriating stolen wealth, lack of skilled manpower, capacity and others are some of the challenges the Office faced so far in the process. “Thus, we are now adopting the best practices of countries in this regard.”
The Ethiopian Herald, February 6/2020
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
