Thirteen individuals, including senior officials in Ethiopia’s petroleum sector, have been charged with corruption offenses tied to what prosecutors describe as a coordinated fuel diversion scheme that allegedly contributed to recent fuel shortages across the country.
The charges were filed before the Federal High Court Lideta Branch, 3rd Anti-Corruption Criminal Bench.
Among those charged are Esmealem Mihretu, CEO of the Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE), Dibara Fufa, Deputy Director of the Petroleum Sector at the Ethiopian Petroleum and Energy Authority, and Shum-Alem Berhane, Director General of EPSE, alongside other officials and private sector actors.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants diverted more than 70 million birr worth of gasoline and white diesel outside government oversight, exacerbating fuel shortages in the domestic market.
The charge sheet outlines four separate counts involving alleged abuse of power, illegal fuel distribution, and collusion between state officials and private operators.
