Ethiopia Arrests 99 Officials in Major Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Addis Ababa, August 7, 2026 – Ethiopian anti-corruption authorities have arrested 99 officials and employees from three federal institutions as part of a nationwide operation targeting alleged corruption networks within government agencies.
According to the authorities, 91 of those arrested are employees of the Ministry of Revenues and the Ethiopian Customs Commission. Investigators allege that the suspects illegally reduced tax assessments, approved fraudulent payment receipts, and deleted electronic records, actions that reportedly caused substantial financial losses to the government.
Officials also claim the suspects used personal bank accounts, as well as accounts belonging to relatives and associates, to conceal and transfer funds allegedly obtained through corrupt practices.
The remaining suspects are officials and employees of the Ministry of Labour and Skills. Investigators accuse them of manipulating Ethiopia’s overseas employment management system by accepting bribes to remove suspensions imposed on recruitment agencies, issuing fraudulent Certificates of Competence (COC) to individuals who had not completed the required training, and preparing falsified documents related to overseas employment.
Authorities said financial investigations uncovered significant sums of money in bank accounts linked to several of the suspects, with some accounts holding deposits ranging from several million to more than 30 million birr.
The suspects have appeared before the Federal High Court, where investigators requested additional time to continue their inquiries. Authorities stated that the anti-corruption operation is ongoing and that further investigations are expected.
The allegations remain under investigation and have not been proven in court. All suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty according to the law.
Source: Ethiopian Business Review (EBR).
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