The Government Communication Service announced that legal measures have been taken against four high-ranking officials of Ethiopian Electric Power who signed illegal power supply contracts with 36 data mining companies without the proper regulatory frameworks.
During a press briefing today, July 30, 2026, Government Communication Service Minister W/ro Enatalem Meles stated that alongside the country's progress, "illegal practices and corruption have remained major obstacles to development."
The Minister added that these illicit activities have become pervasive, involving organized operations across government structures, the business community, development enterprises, individuals, and service consumers.
Consequently, it was disclosed that actions have been taken against numerous government officials and individuals across various sectors.
The sectors where measures were enacted include betting and fintech businesses, illegal operations in the mineral sector, fuel supply and logistics, fertilizer procurement, Ethiopian Electric Power, the revenue and customs sector, and illicit employment and human trafficking.
The Minister announced that 169 Ethiopians and foreign nationals involved in illegal money transfers, hawala, and the black market have been held legally accountable.
In the Ministry of Skills and Labour, 8 senior officials and employees involved in manipulating foreign employment systems and accepting bribes have been placed under legal custody, according to the report.
Additionally, 44 brokers and traffickers were apprehended, and institutions operating with illegal licenses were completely shut down.
In the revenue and customs sector, 91 individuals who undermined government revenue by reducing tax assessments, clearing forged receipts, and deleting system data establishing self-enriching conflict-of-interest networks using their own accounts, relatives', and drivers' accounts were placed under arrest.
Noting that 36 individuals who defrauded funds from Commercial Bank of Ethiopia customer accounts were arrested and had their bank accounts frozen, the statement also highlighted that 7 cryptocurrency applications used to facilitate illegal transfers have been completely blocked from operating domestically.
The briefing further included that criminal accountability measures were taken against Ministry of Agriculture officials over fertilizer procurement schemes, and 38 government officials involved in issuing illegal cover letters, hoarding fuel, and black-market trading were held legally responsible.
It was also disclosed that 29 exporting businesses and individuals who failed to repatriate foreign currency earnings, along with 183 individuals involved in smuggling gold out of the market including government officials, security structure leaders, producers, and foreign nationals have been brought to justice.
Furthermore, the service announced that sealing measures were enforced against over 7,000 business entities and warehouses engaged in illegal activities, alongside the arrest of owners and the freezing of bank accounts of 38 betting enterprises that defrauded government taxes, concealed revenues, and executed illegal financial transfers.
The Minister called upon the public to stand alongside the government in fulfilling its historic responsibility by exposing corruption, refusing bribes for legal rights, and refusing to cooperate with outlaws to ensure the ongoing crackdown yields effective results.
