Ethiopian police arrest ex-director of renaissance dam construction company

The Ethiopian police arrested on Tuesday the former Director General of the state-owned Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC), General Kinfe Dagnew while trying to flee to Sudan.

The Ethiopian authorities announced earlier the arrest of 63 officials including senior intelligence and police officials and officials in METEC company on suspicion of human rights violations, corruption and attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in June.

Ethiopia’s Fana radio reported that Ethiopian Attorney General, Berhanu Tsegaye as saying that General Dagnew arrived in the capital Addis Ababa today after he was arrested in  Humera, Tigray Regional State while attempting to flee to Sudan.

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He added that General Dagnew is expected to appear before the court no later than 48 hours after his arrest.

On August, 25 Abiy Ahmed announced that his government had decided to transfer the contract of constructing the Renaissance Dam from the Ethiopian construction company to another company with global capabilities and experience to continue the project.

At the time, the Ethiopian construction company was accused of delaying the construction process which was due to be completed within five years of its onset in 2011.