Federal prosecutors have formally filed heavy corruption and money laundering charges against the former manager of the Ethiopian Labor Market Information Project Office, top officials from the Ministry of Labor and Skills, private agency owners, and several accomplices over a massive fraud scheme exceeding 1.13 billion Birr.
According to charges brought before the Federal High Court’s 5th Heavy Corruption Bench, the former Project Office Manager, Berhanu Aleka Asgedom, abused his position to generate an illegal benefit of 1,134,609,241.93 birr. The scheme centered on exploiting the Ethiopian Labor Market Information System, specifically the online Center of Competence (COC) certification process required for citizens seeking overseas employment.
Investigators revealed that Berhanu and his co-conspirators granted administrative privileges—including “COC Special Admin” rights—to unauthorized individuals outside the ministry. These individuals facilitated the approval of competency assessments without proper training or evaluation in exchange for hefty fees collected from departing workers. To conceal the funds, fake identity cards were created to open multiple bank accounts using photos of other individuals.
The illicit proceeds were subsequently laundered into real estate and luxury assets. Prosecutors highlighted that Berhanu, alongside his wife, acquired six residential properties in Addis Ababa valued at 223,654,950 birr, as well as a high-end vehicle worth 68,144,738.03 birr. Berhanu faces four concurrent charges, including heavy corruption, money laundering, aggravated breach of trust, and gross mismanagement.
In a related count within the same charge sheet, Ermias Teklu, former Chief Executive of Overseas Employment at the Ministry of Labor and Skills, has been charged with severe administrative mismanagement for facilitating the departure of 64,091 Ethiopian citizens to Jordan using fraudulent visa documentation.
In total, 13 individuals—comprising ministry officials, agency owners, and private individuals—face 16 distinct counts covering bribery, abuse of power, money laundering, and illegal trade in authority. One primary suspect, Tamirayehu Getinet, remains at large.
