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By Mahlet Fasil @MahletFasil
Addis Ababa, September 4, 2020 – Federal prosecutors charged US citizen Misha Adem Chiri with criminal charges on September 2 for violating the country’s proclamation against telecommunications fraud No. 761/204, Article 9/1.
Prosecutors charged Misha, an IT assistant for Oromia Media Network (OMN), with installing satellite telecommunications equipment that is prohibited by private parties at Jawar Mohammed’s residence. Prosecutors further alleged that the satellite telecommunications equipment was imported without permission from the United States of America and was used to access mobile phones, desktops and tablets and to hack private data, including videos, within a radius of up to 25 km. They also allege that the technology enabled a private network system.
On August 24, Misha received a 10,000 birr bond from the Arada Federal Court of First Instance along with Dejene Tafa from the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), OMN journalist Guyo Wario and businessman Korssa Dechassa. However, the police appealed the decision to the Federal Superior Court. At a hearing held on August 31, judges approved bail for Guyo and allowed the police to continue pretrial detention and investigating Misha for three more days, postponing the next hearing to September 3.
Police secured the additional three days to put Misha in pre-trial detention after they argued that Misha carries a foreign passport and that if released, he would pose a flight risk. The police also said they were still awaiting material evidence from INSA. Consequently, the court gave the police three more days to present a case against Misha and postponed the hearing until 3 September.
However, the criminal charge was brought against Misha on September 2, in the absence of both him and his lawyers. “We don’t know anything,” said his lawyer Kedir Bullo, “our appointment was scheduled for September 3 and we have not received the charge sheet yet,” he said. Addis Standard.
When Misha and her lawyers appeared in court yesterday, the judge presiding over the case was absent. Therefore, the next hearing has been postponed until Tuesday, September 8, 2020. HOW
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