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Ethiopia - False bills land exporters in prison

• Three sentenced between 18 and 30 months for under invoicing coffee beans

• More exporters to face charges

The Federal High Court of Ethiopia has handed down verdicts to three coffee exporters, putting them behind bars after they were found guilty of under-invoicing bean exports earlier this week.

Jemal Abdu Mohamed was sentenced to two and half years imprisonment and fined three thousand birr. He was also ordered to relinquish the right to acquire an export license for three years after he is freed. Berihun Abebe Adal received a two year jail term and a three thousand birr fine. He is also banned from obtaining a license for three years. Gebre Egziabher Gebre was sentenced to one and half years and fined five hundred birr. Gebre Egziabher’s license is revoked for two years.

The statement obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) explained that the three exporters are only a part of many exporters who are in the pipeline to face charges.

MoARD said it warned exporters to refrain from under invoicing exports of agricultural products.
Tarekegn Tsige, public relation head of MoARD, told Capital that the ministry will continue to take similar legal measures against other illegal exporters who are deviating from the normal regulation

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