By Taye Haile
Dr. Fisseha Eshetu, the CEO of Purpose Black, has recently made headlines by claiming that he fled Ethiopia out of fear of arrest by the government. He alleges that government agents threatened him and accused him of supporting the group known as Fano. However, an examination of the facts and Dr. Fisseha’s history reveals a different story, casting doubt on the validity of his claims.
To start with, Fisseha has made numerous attempts to align himself with the Prosperity Party (PP). Over time, he has written multiple letters to the Prime Minister and various ministerial offices, seeking to curry favor. This is evident in his efforts to even mimic the PP party logo for his own company. Such actions suggest that Fisseha was eager to gain preferential treatment from the government. His motivations became clearer when he requested the Prime Minister to act as the guardian of his company. This request was rightly denied, as the Prime Minister’s duty is to serve the entire nation, not to provide personal guardianship over individual enterprises.
Fisseha’s invocation of the term “Fano” raises significant questions about his intentions. Historically, Fisseha has been known to oppose Fano, so his sudden claim of being targeted for supporting them appears dubious. It seems likely that this is a calculated move designed to achieve two main objectives. Firstly, it seeks to mislead the public into believing that his departure from Ethiopia was a result of political persecution rather than business failures. Secondly, it aims to garner sympathy and support from the Ethiopian diaspora by portraying himself as a victim of governmental oppression.
Looking more closely at Fisseha’s business dealings over the years, a different picture emerges. There is substantial evidence to suggest that Fisseha has struggled to meet the contractual obligations he made with his customers. Reports indicate that he has failed to deliver the houses he promised and has mismanaged the funds entrusted to him by his clients. This financial mismanagement has likely left many customers without the homes they paid for, leading to significant financial losses.
Given this context, it becomes plausible that Fisseha is using the Fano narrative as a smokescreen to deflect blame from his own business failures onto the government. By doing so, he hopes to evade accountability for his actions and the financial harm he has caused to his customers.
In conclusion, it is essential for the public to approach Fisseha’s statements with a healthy dose of skepticism. His claims of government persecution appear to be a strategic maneuver to divert attention from his business failings and to shirk responsibility for the financial losses suffered by his customers. The Ethiopian diaspora, his company’s customers, and the Ethiopian government should collaborate to ensure that Fisseha is brought back to Ethiopia through Interpol. It is crucial that he faces legal proceedings to address his alleged misconduct and to ensure that his customers receive the justice and compensation they deserve.
By holding Fisseha accountable, we can ensure that justice is served and that such deceptive practices are not allowed to go unchecked. It is imperative for the integrity of both the business environment and the legal system in Ethiopia that individuals who engage in such fraudulent activities are brought to justice.
Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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I think it is important to remain nonjudgmental at this stage. Dr. Fesseha has made a claim, and we should not outright reject it. His failures are largely government-instigated. It all began with the cancellation of the BGI contractual obligation. When an organization fails to honor a contractual agreement, the legal outcomes are clear, and they are held accountable. Musk agreed to buy Twitter and later reneged, but he was eventually forced to make the purchase. Fesseha made an initial payment of over a billion birr to BGI and was eager to build a large farmers tower near Mexico Square using the land agreed upon with BGI (the old St. George Brewery site behind the polytechnic school near Mexico Square). However, the cancellation of that agreement favored BGI due to political interference in the courts. The Abiy administration was envious of Black Purpose acquiring that land. As if that wasn’t enough, Black Purpose’s account with 2.3 billion birr was blocked by the government. Fesseha was trying to acquire land in Yeka Subcity to build houses for shareholders, but the pressure exerted on him by the government incapacitated him. It was right for him to leave Ethiopia. The next step would likely have been his arrest and imprisonment, rendering the Black Purpose account useless due to inflation over time.
If Dr. Fesseha was against Fano, please provide the link to the speech he referred to. Ethiopia is a country where criminals and embezzlers like Abdille, General Dagnew, and Sebehat Nega go free. Fesseha is willing to return and fulfill his responsibilities if his blocked account is released and he is guaranteed to operate without intervention. If he fails to do so, then we can pass judgment.
Whaylt I read surprises me. There is Ethiopian qoutation: many axe come on a failed tree. After all this government, which is a political son of the failled woyane’s government is a damen excellent in politics. When it targets you to do crime over you they first claim you as a good supporter of their government’s agenda. This has been testified from a lot of witnessed victims. They usually intrude and put their agent in such publicly loved companies to mislead their business goal. They even mislead them in tgeir mission statement totake them out of their public. On the other part tge govenment’s intelligence disiminate bad talks against tge companies in order to let them fail and let leave all the goods of the companies for their own political purpose. See all the giant companies of Alhamudi taken over under the leadership of the government officials, they are being spoiled. When is the time the Ethiopian givernment, this son and its father, are seen giving peoples’ house. They have collected in trillions of the public money they promissed to build 40-60 and 20-80 government building condominiums after the people fully paid their obligation. When we lalk about obligation it is the government and its representative like this reporter that usually fail in meeting their obligation in many issues, the usually collect money from the people, international banks and aid NGOs. They use the money for their personal uses, openning their own companies, building tall towers and fund their gang groups, both ad a supporter with in the civilian and opposer in the battle fields. Who are the owners of the recentsly opened real estates? What is the real cause that driven the government officials to become against this person, Dr Fisseha? Aren’t them business competition, ethinic politics and fear of the people in the same business who begged the needed to keep the real estate businees continue expensive? I don’t like lies as an educator. You may criticize my English as I am specialized in different fields in stead of linguistic. I say, in stead of setting up people who work for the public until they loose their personal life, it is better for you to keep on stealing the money without any harm aing to our own good people.
May God give you good heart?
May God bless our peole by giving it a good govenment before the Heavenly Father comes?
Though questioning the business model of Fisseha is appropriate, we can not deny the deep rooted corruption under Abiy Ahmed’s reign. I question most of his style in his business model. But i wouldn’t reject his claim of the requested bribe of 250 million birr by higher officials. It became a common practice in Ethiopia. We are in a time where one has to pay tens of thousands of birr bribe even to get an ID from government offices, this is unheard of. He is a good reminder of how the system is decaying in corruption.
The writer seems trying to defend the gov’t (may be one among the digital cadres) as he hasn’t provided evidence what so ever, to substantiate his claims. The issue of corruption in today’s Ethiopia is an elephant in the room.
Did you say “This request was rightly denied, as the Prime Minister’s duty is to serve the entire nation, not to provide personal guardianship over individual enterprises”? This statement alone proves that you are messenger of the government. Maybe, you are the one who is paid from those who threatened Fiseha if he does not pay hundreds of million ETB. I know that Fiseha unfairly used the system to enrich himself. That does not however mean the government did not turn away from him and wanted to exploit him. The prosperity led government is worse than groups of arrogant individuals. It initially kisses and later bites you. The prime Minister is the most stupid person in the world and cannot be admired for preserving national interest as you claim it to be. Don’t use your pen to back the butchers!
Q: How long will the government of Ethiopia plan to freeze the company’s (the PurposeBlack Ethiopia’s) money?
This is my question which I believe it will be the question of all the shareholders. If Dr. Fisseha Eshetu has illegal problems or activities, he can be requested following proper legal procedures. However, forcing him participate in corruptions is not only a crime but it is also unethical. Because the company’s money does not belong to Dr. Fisseha Eshetu. He is just CEO and founder of the company as well as one of shareholders of the company. The company has over thousands of people whom are shareholders of the company. Most of the shareholders, including me, have become shareholders because the company works mainly on agriculture and farmers and selling agricultural products in the company’s supermarkets. The PurposeBlack Ethiopia has also a good plan/vision for Ethiopia’s economy in participating in export markets to bring foreign exchange to Ethiopia.
Hopefully, the government of Ethiopia will release the PurposeBlack Ethiopia’s money very soon so that PurposeBlack Ethiopia will continue to function in Ethiopia as before. If releasing the money is not possible, shareholders’ money has to be returned to all shareholders as soon as possible (before the money freezes longer time in Awash Bank).
From the information I have, the problem happed when PurposeBlack Ethiopia wants to move its money, 2 billion ETB, from Awash Bank to Hibret Bank. Although both are private banks in Ethiopia, PurposeBlack Ethiopia has got the best interest offer from Hibret Bank.
This is the information I have regarding PurposeBlack Ethiopia. If I am mistaken, please correct me.
Name: AgricultureShareHolder