Two Ethiopian journalists have appeared before the country’s high court charged with an attempt to sell sensitive security information to an international television news network.
Two journalists from the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency were arrested last week for allegedly attempting to sell a sensitive video document to Aljazeera Television Station illegally.
The arrests of Haileyesus Werku, Good governance and Democracy Program Editor and Abdulsemed Mohamed, entertainment program staff, were ordered by the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission of Ethiopia.
The two who appeared before the federal high court last week have been accused of irresponsibly attempting to transfer a video document without their company’s consent.
They could spend up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
The document is believed to contain information that could have far-reaching consequences on the public service and damage the country’s image
Meanwhile, a plea by the prosecutor on behalf of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission for an extra 14 days to investigate the case more closely has been accepted, but the number of days has been reduced to only seven by the court.
According to the Commission, the defendants would have obtained one million birr if they been successful in transferring the alleged video.
