January 17,2017
Defected sergeant unveils scandal within the Ethiopian contingent of United Nations Mission to Somalia (UNSOM). If the information is proved to be true, the United Nations has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to a fraudulent payment arrangement by high ranking military commanders in the Somalian Mission. [adToAppearHere]
Hailemichael Bewketu Gashaye, who deserted from Ethiopian contingent of the United Nation mission in Somalia, told Ethiopian Satellite Television,in an exclusive interview, that he did not get the amount of payment that he was supposed to from what the United Nations pay soldiers who are part of the UNSOM. He says that he was only paid 40 % of the amount and the rest of it was embezzled by Ethiopian generals, who are clearly parties to the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
Source : screenshot from ESAT Video
How does that happen?
“…TPLF generals forge paperwork and submit to the UN claiming members of the Ethiopian Mission had higher ranks but only pay the soldiers a fraction of what the UN sends them,” Hailemicael is cited by ESAT.
Soldiers who are listed with the rank of sergeant in Ethiopia are reported to the United Nations as commissioned officers with the military rank of Major. What that means is that the United Nations spends salary for lower rank officers as if the payment is to be made to officers with a rank of Major as per salary scale of the United Nations and it is ruling TPLF’s military generals that embezzle the difference.
In addition,according to Hailemichael, while relatives or family of soldiers are supposed get 50,000 US dollars in the event that a solider in UNSOM mission is deceased on duty- combat or otherwise- the fund never reached families of deceased Ethiopians. TPLF generals pocket the amount.
Hailemichael implicates Brigadier general Gebremedhin Fekadu, Brigadier general Yohannes and colonel Yemane Gebremichael in the scandal, according to Ethiopian Satellite Television.
borkena will update readers if the United Nations will look into the allegation and launch an investigation.
ESAT ‘s report is available here