Former Ethiopian minister jailed for corruption

Bereket Simon, former communication minister, convicted over embezzlement of public funds, abuse of power

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - An Ethiopian court on Friday sentenced a former communication minister to six years in prison over corruption charges, local media reported.

Bereket Simon, who was minister of communication from 1995 to 2012, was sentenced after conclusion of a trial by the Amhara Regional State Supreme Court on Friday, according to the local broadcaster FANA.

Last week, the court convicted him over embezzlement of public funds and abuse of power.

He has also been fined 10,000 Ethiopian Birr ($310).

Bereket, together with codefendant Tadesse Kassa, was standing trial over the past couple of years while in prison in the northwestern city of Bahir Dar, capital of the Amhara State.

The court sentenced Tadesse to eight years in prison and a fine of $500 after he was found guilty on three counts of embezzlement of public funds.

Bereket was a founding member of former ruling coalition Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

Kaynak: