Premier Zenawi, others sue four Ethiopians in USA for libel
ADDIS ABABA, Aug 8, 2005 (ENA) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that a number of senior government officials, including other citizens, filed suit in a US court against four Ethiopians for making false and defamatory statements.
The ministry told Ethiopian News Agency on Monday 8 August that the plaintiffs include Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Deputy Prime Minister Adisu Legese, Information Minister Bereket Simon, Federal Affairs Minister Abay Tsehaye, Capacity Building Minister Tefera Waluwa, Education Minister Genet Zewde and Capacity Building State Minister Kuma Demeksa.
The ministry said Mayor of the Addis Ababa City Government Arkebe Equbay, President of Addis Ababa University Prof Andreas Eshete, TPLF — core party in ruling coalition Tigray People’s Liberation Front — Central Committee Member Sibhat Nega and Shimelis Kidane are also among the plaintiffs.
The ministry added Azeb Mesfin, the wife of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, also filed a separate suit against the same persons for defamation.
The ministry said the defendants are Goshu Habte, Yonas Habte, and Dawit Kebede who live in the United States and Lishan Gizaw who resides in Germany.
Defendant Goshu Habte is the Chairman of the North American Support Committee Joint Forum for the United Ethiopian Democratic Party-Medhin (UEDP-Medhin), which is member of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD).
According to the ministry, the lawsuits are in response to recent false statements made by the named defendants and others through the use of the so-called Tensae Ethiopia Voice of Unity Radio and postings on the internet.
These statements included, among others, false and defamatory allegations, the assertion that some plaintiffs had transferred money from the national treasury of Ethiopia into personal bank accounts in foreign countries, the ministry said.
Such defamatory statements were made with malice, without any factual basis and are wholly false, the ministry said. The intent was to injure the reputations of plaintiffs and hinder their abilities to carry out their duties in their respective public and private capacities.
The ministry stressed that not only are the defendants fabricated statement damaging to the personal reputations of the plaintiffs, but also seriously risk and undermine Ethiopia’s important international relations, including with its economic development partners.
Because of the damaging nature of the defendants false statements, the ministry has disclosed that the plaintiffs retained a US counsel and instructed the counsel to take appropriate legal action.