Addis Ababa, September 25, 2020 (FBC) -Ethiopian army is tightening its grip on money laundering activities around borders following the country’s introduction of new banknotes to stop illegal circulation of money outside financial institutions.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, General Berhanu Jula, Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of the Military Operations Division of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, said the army has been strengthening its control on the flow of illicit funds into the country.
However, there are false claims by some quarters that the army has been given permission to seize money at will, he added.
The general strongly dismissed the allegations saying values of the army would never allow it to do illegal activities.
General Berhanu explained that illegal money that violates the law is seized and saved in one account and used to strengthen the security structure.
He also said that there are individuals who deliberately tarnish the good reputation of the defense force the country is very proud of.
The general cited the example of individuals who had previously published defamatory articles on the grounds that they had obtained them from inside sources.
He stated that such acts are serious crime but tolerated. General Berhanu warned individuals involved in such activities to refrain from doing further incitement.
“Politicians should not raise the armed forces as their agenda in their political campaign.”