ADDIS ABABA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Office of Ethiopia Federal Attorney General (OEFAG) on Tuesday announced it has filed criminal charges against former Intelligence Chief Getachew Assefa for alleged human rights abuses and corruption.
In a press statement, OEFAF said Assefa is charged with 25 other individuals for engaging in grand corruption activities and committing human rights abuses.
Assefa had served as chief of the Ethiopia National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) until June 2018. NISS has in recent years been accused of torturing and killing dissidents and rebels.
A total of 22 of the suspects are currently in custody, while four other suspects including Getachew are being tried in absentia, according to the Office of Ethiopia Federal Attorney General.
The arrest and prosecution of suspects is part of the promise the new administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed which assumed office in April 2018 made to the public to restore law and order and crack down on high level corruption.
