Top prosecutor defects

ADDIS ABABA - A top Ethiopian prosecutor who defied Meles Zenawi's order to set up fabricated charges that would destroy the financial holdings of jailed opposition leaders has defected to the US, Seminawork blog reported on Thursday.

"A former friend and classmate of Shimeles Kemal, the chief prosecutor against Kinijit leaders, Alemayehu was the head of the ministry's civil division and one of the best bench prosecutors in the country," Seminawork said.

Just after the November 1 massacre and the imprisonment of the CUDP leaders, press freedom and social justice advocates, the State Minster of Justice, Dr. Hashim Mohammed, asked Alemayehu to help them bring criminal charges against the jailed men and women. Alemayehu objected to the request claiming that he was a head of civil division and bringing criminal charges wasn't part of his job.

Three weeks later, Dr, Hashim told Alemayehu to institute a civil action against the Kinijit leaders for the material damage and the loss of life caused on the November 1 and 2. The state minister of justice confided to Alemayehu that the prime minister had ordered him to obtain an injunction order against the asset of the leaders and prepare a civil case against them. The amount of damage was estimated to be a billion birr.

Full Text on Seminawork .

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