Court Orders Police to Detain & Bring Ex Spy Chief

ADDIS ABEBA – A federal high court have ordered the federal police to detain and bring top officials of former officials of Ethiopia’s intelligence service including Getachew Asefa, to stand trial.

The order was given for the second time. But the arrest warrants issued for their arrest are yet to be taken from the court, reported state-affiliated FBC.

On Thursday, court ordered the police to submit the warrants to the suspects in person.

It also told the general prosecutor office to follow the case.

Getachew was charged in absentia, in May 7, with misuse of power and corruption as part of a crackdown by the government on senior security officials suspected of rights abuses.

Details of the two charges against Getachew, former head of the National Intelligence and Security Service, and 25 other defendants ran to 106 pages.

Getachew is accused of torture, causing deaths during interrogations and detaining members of opposition groups – at a time when they were labeled terrorist groups and banned under the previous government.

Four of those charged, including Getachew, are missing; the charge sheet says they are hiding in the Tigray region. The rest are in custody.

The court adjourned the next hearing for May 24, 2019