Zonal bureau for agricultural resource development in Oromia region takes measures on Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority’s (ECTA) officer on the allegation of abusing his power and involvement in smuggling contraband to the centre. The issue has raised eyebrows and scrutiny on the proper usage of coffee dispatch letters.
In the letter that was issued on Friday April 8, West Guji Zone Agricultural Resource Development Bureau of Oromia region stated that it has suspended Wogene Alemu, ECTA representative at Bule Horra dispatch station.
The notification letter that copied Guji Zone Administration, Bule Horra City Administration, the city police and prosecutor, Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) of Bule Horra branch, and Bule Horra Dispatch Station of ECTA, accused the individual with involvements in misdemeanor acts for several occasions in addition to damaging the interest of the country.
The letter that was signed by Ayano Alemayehu, Deputy Director for the Bureau leading as the coordinator for the coffee and tea sector in the zone that is the major source of Guji type of coffee, Wogene was noted to abuse his position by issuing fake coffee dispatch documents to smuggle contraband to the centre.
The zone agriculture bureau is also the focal body to regulate the coordination of the coffee and tea business.
The letter added that the individual was suspended on the accusation of illegal act, has produced forged documents and stamps that he issued for trucks to pass to the centre with illegal consignment rather than the bean.
As per the information that Capital obtained from the area, Wogene is already under custody as a suspect for the latest incident which happened on Monday. On the stated day, the Customs Commission Hawassa branch seized the contraband clothing that was covered by coffee husks, while the driver that transported the contraband commodity presented a dispatch document that was signed by Wogene with the stamp and header of ECTA.
The case has raised the concern that such kind of illegal acts shall create a gap for those who are involved on illegal activity. According to the concerned body, in the past when coffee passed through ECX, the procedure was tight before issuing the dispatch document. At least the commodity should be staffed at the ECX warehouse to transport to the central market or processing terminal, “since the vertical integration trading scheme does not have such kind of processes, illegal actors are using the opportunity the smuggle contraband under ECTA coffee dispatch document as a cover.”
Experts on the matter explain that in the past few months, similar illegal attempts have been confiscated by customs check points at Hawassa and Shashemene.
Experts recommended for ECTA to improve its controlling mechanism regarding issuing requiring green light documents.
West guji zone currently contributes up to 60,000 metric tons of coffee to the central market per annum.