The Ethiopian Federal Police says it has recovered US$965,508 in cryptocurrency as part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving Berhanu Aleka Asgedom, former manager of the Ethiopian Labour Market Information System (ELMIS) project, and other suspects.
ELMIS, launched in 2022 by the Ministry of Labor and Skills, is a digital platform designed to connect job seekers, employers and policymakers across Ethiopia.
According to the police, the investigation uncovered alleged fraud involving the illegal issuance of Certificates of Competency (CoCs), the collection of more than one billion birr through fraudulent bank accounts, and bribery linked to employment and recruitment agencies.
The case was filed in July against Berhanu, other employees, owners of labour and employer-matching agencies, and additional individuals suspected of involvement in the alleged offences.
Police said investigators found that the ELMIS project had been launched without adequate verification of the system’s quality, while officials allegedly failed to carry out their government responsibilities.
The investigation also found that 81,236 people allegedly received Certificates of Competency without the required education or adequate training.
In addition, three individuals who were not employees of the Ministry of Labor and Skills were reportedly granted special system administrator privileges, allowing them to issue professional qualifications to people who had not completed the necessary training.
Police said two fraudulent bank accounts were opened, through which 1.013 billion birr was illegally collected.
Investigators said 249 million birr held in a bank account was frozen during the investigation. They also traced funds allegedly converted into cryptocurrency and recovered or secured US$965,508 through a technology-assisted investigation conducted in coordination with the National Bank of Ethiopia.
The investigation further revealed that recruitment agencies whose operations had been suspended for failing to remit foreign currency were allegedly allowed to resume operations in exchange for bribes totalling 10.1 million birr.
Authorities also alleged that 64,500 Ethiopian citizens were subjected to abuse after being sent to Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries using fraudulent visas.
Working with the Ministry of Justice, the National Intelligence and Security Service, the Information Network Security Administration, the Financial Intelligence Center and the National Bank of Ethiopia, the Federal Police said it had seized six houses allegedly purchased in the suspect’s name across three sub-cities of Addis Ababa.
The properties were valued at between 55 million and 68 million birr, according to the police. A modern V6 vehicle reportedly purchased for 68 million birr was also seized.
Police said investigations were continuing into recruitment agencies allegedly involved in the scheme and individuals suspected of failing to remit foreign currency owed to the government.
The Federal Police has urged families whose relatives travelled abroad and later lost contact or encountered difficulties, as well as members of the public with relevant information, to contact the authorities.
The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
