Ethiopia release ex-prime minister after 12 years in jail
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
December 20, 2008 (ADDIS ABEBA) — Former Ethiopian Prime Minister and later Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Tamrat Layne, is released on Friday from jail after spending 12 years behind bars, the Ministry of Justice said.
In 2000 the Supreme Court of Ethiopia had passed 18 years of sentence over Tamrat Layne after it found him guilty on three counts of corruption and abuse of power.
Ethiopia freed Tamrat before completing his actual jail term because one-third of his actual sentence was lifted for showing good behaviors and regrets during his stay in prison, the ministry of justice said.
Tamerat was accused of involvement in an illegal 16 million-dollar deal with a firm to export Ethiopian textile products.
He was also accused of using his position to export 1,000 tonnes of state-owned coffee through a bogus firm and of using another company to obtain a tender for the supply of construction equipment worth 13 million dollars.
While leaving the doors of the prison in Addis Ababa, Tamrat in black suit, shining with big smile shook the hands of prison authority’s securities and also waved his hands to supporters out side before he met families who were impatiently waiting to grab him home.
“I call on all Ethiopians at home and aboard to love each other, live together in harmony and unite to develop the nation,” Tamrat upon leaving told Journalists out side the correction center.
Nothing is yet know if the former political figure is going to return him self back to a political life or not but while pleading guilty to the then house of representatives he had said that he won’t have any intention to go against the ruling party of EPRDF, to which he struggled for.
“I don’t believe a time that I while stand against the current administration (EPRDF) will come” he said then adding “nor do I believe there will be a time in which I will join to any political group that opposes to the party I struggled for.”
Tamrat was one of the important Leaders of EPRDF that had played a major role in toppling the former Derg regime.
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Mohammad100
Ethiopia release ex-prime minister after 12 years in jail
This is an amharic saying: It goes like that “Leybaab leybaa biserqew, manin bedeneqew”. Meaning if “a thief stole from the robber, who will be amazed”.
Democracy and rule of law are an excellent trade mark for Woyyanee.
Happy Hollidays!!!!
Mohammad.
GINBOT SEBAT
Ethiopia release ex-prime minister after 12 years in jail
AS WE ALL KNOW TAMRAT LAYNE’S LIFE REVOLVED ARROUND RELIGION SINCE HE STARTED COVER UP DEBATES WITH HIS PARTY FRIENDS WISAM ABDELLA, HUSSEIN , MUNIR DORI(SON OF MOHAMMED DURI UNITED NATIONS DIPLOMAT) ,NIGUSSE HAILU, ESKINDER KIDANE, WISAM’S MOTHER SHADIA NADAM WHO LATER ENDED UP BEING PREGNANT FROM TAMRAT AND URGED SAUDI BILLIONAIRE OIL TYCOON MOHAMMED AL-AMOUDI TO SUPPLY MONEY TO GET ABORTION NOT TO SHAME THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND CREATE TENSIONS ABOUT TAMRAT HAVING A KID OUTSIDE HIS MARRIAGE FROM A MUSLIM WOMAN. OIL BILLIONAIRE TYCOON SHEIKH MOHAMMED STILL IN COURT TO GET HIS MONEY REFUNDED BECAUSE THE PARTY GROUP ABOVE HAD LIED TO HIM ABOUT NOT HAVING MONEY WHEN THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER WAS THEY STOLE A LOT OF ETHIOPIAN PUBLIC MONEY WHICH WAS LEFT UNDER TAMRAT LAYNE’S SUPERVISION.