Court Denies bail for Generals accused of Disrupting Communication System
ADDIS ABEBA – Court has denied bail request of seven military officers accused of disrupting communication system of the National Defense forces’ Northern command post in early November.
The Military officers, including former communication chief of the northern command General Gebremedhin Fekadu (Wedi Necho), were arrested on Nov. 10, for allegedly disrupting communications systems, exposing the federal forces in Tigray.
The generals have been charged for allegedly conspiring with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) show forces ordered the deadly attack on the army base in Tigray Region on Nov 4, 2020.
Police also said they have evidence that the commanders have given ENDF’s communications equipments to TPLF officials to be used in their fight against the national defense force.
The suspects have appeared in court for third times on Friday morning, during which police said the case remains complex and needs a thorough investigation.
Police said more time is needed to probe the impact of their misdeed on the ground and informed the court a federal police investigation team has already been deployed to do that.
They asked the court to grant them 14 additional days.
The suspects denied the alleged crimes again on Friday and asked the court to release them on bail – a request the police strongly opposed saying, if the defendants released, they will compromise the investigation.
The judge, who presided over the Federal First Instance Arada Court Criminal Bench, has denied the defendant’s bail request.
The court has also ordered the police to bring specific charges for each of suspects after their lawyers appealed to the court that charges brought against their clients are not clear enough during the previous court session.
The judge also ruled in favor of granting 6 more days for investigation for the police, and adjourned for Jan. 21 to continue to hear the case.
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By Mhret G/kristos
