Addis Ababa (AMECO) – The Ethiopian government has executed a major nationwide operation against corruption, illicit finance, and supply-chain sabotage, arresting hundreds of individuals and shutting down thousands of businesses accused of undermining its macroeconomic reforms.
Speaking at a press conference, Government Communication Service Minister Enatlem Melese announced that organized networks spanning state institutions, private business, and foreign entities had systematically infiltrated key economic sectors. The Minister said these illicit operations had artificially inflated consumer prices, exacerbated foreign currency shortages, and expanded contraband trade.
“The government is taking decisive action against forces attempting to derail our homegrown economic reforms and plunder national wealth,” Enatlem said, calling on citizens to report corrupt practices and refuse to pay bribes.
The multi-agency crackdown uncovered extensive fraud across several critical sectors:
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Trade and Consumer Goods: Authorities issued warnings to the owners of 13 major supply companies for deliberately hoarding basic commodities to drive up prices. More than 7,000 businesses and warehouses engaged in illegal commercial practices were sealed.
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Finance, Forex and Crypto: Prosecutors charged 169 Ethiopian and foreign nationals over illegal hawala transfers and black-market foreign exchange trading. Authorities arrested 36 people for organized bank fraud, blocked seven unlicensed cryptocurrency applications, and prosecuted 29 export firms for failing to repatriate foreign currency earnings. In the fintech sector, 38 betting companies were shut down and their owners arrested for tax evasion.
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Mining and Fuel Logistics: An investigation into gold smuggling resulted in charges against 183 individuals—including government officials, security personnel, producers, and foreign nationals, who were subsequently deported. Seized items included contraband gold, smelting scales, foreign currency, and weapons. In fuel distribution, 38 officials face prosecution for generating fraudulent authorization letters and illegal off-market sales, alongside action against over 650 petrol stations and suppliers.
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Agriculture and Energy: Criminal charges were brought against Ministry of Agriculture officials over corrupt procurement deals involving expired and substandard fertilizer. At state utility Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), four senior executives were disciplined for unlawfully signing power supply contracts with 36 data-mining companies without regulatory approval.
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Customs and Labour: Police arrested eight senior Ministry of Labour and Skills officials and 44 human traffickers for manipulating overseas employment systems and accepting bribes. A parallel customs investigation into tax reduction schemes and system tampering identified 109 suspects using personal and family bank accounts, leading to 91 arrests.
