More than 40 former METEC officials detained in Ethiopia

November 10, 2018 – According to the Reporter, more than 40 former Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC) officials and members of the intelligence community were detained.

The METEC administration and members of the intelligence forces were in custody yesterday, November 9, 2018, according to the report.

The government of the Ethiopian government has so far failed to disclose whether anyone was arrested by METEC and even less those former METEC officials.

They were detained as they met in the Gerja area in Addis Ababa, in the former Imperial Hotel, which the corporation bought and renamed Amorav, according to sources.

They are thought to be in jail at the provisional detention center of the Federal Police, according to sources.

METEC has been in hot water for some time, which is why current government officials believe it is deeply rooted in corruption and mismanagement.

In August of this year, METEC was interrupted by the Grande Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project due to the delay and mismanagement caused by it, according to government officials. Read here for this story about METEC.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abi Ahmed stressed the criticism, saying that this was not only the main factor for the disposal of the GERD project, but also challenged Salini Impregilo, the Italian company that is the main contractor for GERD, to demand a delay for delays.

In October this year, and perhaps in efforts to rehabilitate its name, the METEC industrial enterprise was announced to be reorganized.

In addition to the ongoing reorganization, METEC has also changed its name to the National Metal Engineering Corporation (NMEC), until the government is approved.

Brigadier General Kinfe Dagnav, who led the corporation as director until he resigned in April 2018, after the election of Prime Minister Abhi Ahmed as prime minister in the ruling party, recently defended METEC in the media.