The Ethiopian Federal Police have launched a public appeal to locate Bereket Werku Adera and three other key suspects wanted in connection with a high-profile corruption case involving the national fuel supply.
In a statement released via social media, authorities identified the other sought individuals as Getachew Amogne Yayeh, Yilkal Yenessew Zeleke, and Abush Ayele Genet. The police urged the public to provide any relevant information to the nearest station, noting that these individuals are among 13 defendants recently charged with orchestrating fuel shortages and economic sabotage.
The legal proceedings have commenced at the Federal High Court, Lideta Branch, 3rd Corruption Crimes Division. Among those already facing the court are high-ranking officials, including Dibara Fufa, Deputy Director General of the Petroleum and Energy Authority, and Shum-alem Berhane, CEO of the Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise. The prosecution alleges that these officials conspired with private individuals to bypass legal distribution channels, prioritizing personal gain over national energy security and causing significant market instability.
Specific charges against Bereket Werku involve a conspiracy with senior energy officials to secure unauthorized fuel purchase permits. Prosecutors allege that this arrangement allowed for the contraband sale of 466,058 liters of white diesel specifically to gold mining operations. This activity alone is reported to have cost the state over 8.4 million Birr and contributed to the diesel scarcity observed in the general market.
Additional counts in the charge sheet detail the diversion of over 1.28 million liters of fuel by other members of the group, resulting in an estimated loss of 22.59 million Birr. The prosecution has categorized the actions of the involved government officials as a “grave abuse of power,” while the private collaborators are being charged as special offenders for their participation in the illegal trade of subsidized resources.
The investigation also highlights institutional failures, including the illegal issuance of a distributor license to Yegna Petroleum PLC, managed by Yilkal Yenessew. Further charges involve the breach of the national fuel chain for 1.9 million liters of fuel transported from Djibouti, which allegedly bypassed government monitoring systems. This specific violation resulted in a financial loss of 17.8 million Birr and hindered the government’s ability to regulate subsidized supplies effectively.
The Federal High Court has scheduled a hearing for May 18 to listen to preliminary objections from the defense. While the judicial process moves forward, the Federal Police emphasized that the capture of the remaining suspects, including Bereket Werku, remains a high priority for the ongoing investigation. The case is being closely monitored as a significant test of the government’s efforts to curb corruption within the critical energy and infrastructure sectors.