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The hoax being played on us by the Hailu Shawel gang

Posted on , Updated on by Elias Kifle

Ethiopian Review Editorial

The Oct. 14 public meeting in Washington DC has left the Hailu Shawel gang naked. Let’s explain why:

1) By restricting media access and harassing members of the media at the public meeting, Hailu Shawel and friends proved themselves to be as dictatorial as Derg and Woyanne. They committed this outrageous abuse of press freedom in the center of the free press capital of the world — Washington DC. This alone makes Hailu Shawel the wrong person to lead a democratic organization such as Kinijit. What was done to the media on Oct. 14 by Hailu Shawel is against the spirit and letter of Kinijit’s manifesto. It is also against what H.R. 2003 is intended to accomplish in Ethiopia.

2) At the Oct. 14 public meeting, Dr Taye Woldeseytanat (Hailu Shawel’s chiqa shum in North America), reported that $120,000 was raised (and two cars were pledged for Wzt. Nigist Gebrehiwot, a poor woman who is being exploited by him and Ato Hailu). While the Oct. 14 meeting went on at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington DC, Ato Hailu’s confidants in Addis Ababa had invited several hundred people to the AEUP office to listen the meeting live. These poor people were standing, clapping and cheering as Dr Taye and Ato Solomon Bekele took turns to announce the fake $5k and $10k pledges and gifts that were coming from paltalk rooms. Now it turned out that only $26,000 was raised — over half of it from members of the Shaleqa-Taye gang. But the Reverend Mirchaw [he owns a church] still believes the $120,000 figure and has been pestering Dr Taye to pay for his radio program in Washington DC. Ato Bedru Adem wants his share, too — $10,000. The frustrated Taye reportedly told both to suck their thumbs instead. Unable to pay, the Reverend Mirchaw’s radio program in DC was cut to 1 hour from 3 hours this week. The scoundrels are now at each other’s throat. Hailu Shawel has been in hiding since the Oct. 14 fiasco. The plan by Shaleqa and Taye to organize several meetings in the U.S. for Ato Hailu, Ato Bedru and Wzt. Nigist has been canceled (the schedule has been removed from their web site).

3) After promising that there will be an audit report, the Shawel gang presented the public with the following financial statement [watch the video here] through Shaleqa Yoseph’s hand picked “auditor” Wzr Yenealem Kebede:

a) Wzt. Yenealem said that her report concerns financial activities starting August 11, 2006. From Aug. 2006 until Oct. 14, 2007, the total amount deposited was $308,000, according to Yenealem. Of that amount only $72,000 was sent to the families of the jailed Kinijit leaders and members in Ethiopia. But even that amount did not reach the families of Kinijit members and leaders. For example, Wzr. Nigist Gebrehiwot — one of the jailed Kinijit CC members who was sitting next to Ato Hailu on Oct. 14 — disputes that claim. Her family had not received a penny while she was in jail. When she got out of jail, Ato Hailu gave her some money out of his own pocket as a personal favor, according to Wzt. Nigist who is much grateful. Ethiopian Review has spoken with other jailed leaders, too, and none of them has received any money. So who took the $72,000 that was sent to Ethiopia, as reported by the Shaleqa’s own auditor?

b) Shaleqa’s ‘auditor’ Wzt. Yenealem reported that $76,000 (out of the $308,000) was paid in salary for Shaleqa and friends. More money went into Shaleqa’s pocket than what was sent to Ethiopia, by his own auditor’s admission.

c) Yenealem Kebede reported that $62,000 was paid for a radio program (named ‘Andinet’) that was launched to attack Ato Andargachew Tsige and other Kinijit officials. Is that why Ethiopians in the Diaspora donated their hard earned money?

d) Wzr. Yenealem did not want to report about the over $1.2 million dollars that were collected by Kinijit North America in the past two years claiming that she was denied access to documents by Ato Berhanu Mewa and others. Invited by EMF, Ethiopian Review and other media to explain this further, Wzt. Yenealem refused. The invitation still stands.

Former Kinijit North America auditor Ato Tesfaye Asmamaw alleges that close to or over $1 million that was not reported by Yenealem Kebede have been diverted to bank accounts controlled by Ato Hailu Shawel’s friends, Shaleqa Yoseph Yazew and Ato Mogus Brook. Ethiopian Review has received information from at least two credible sources that some of this money was used by Shaleqa Yoseph and Ato Mogus to pay for Hailu Shawel’s mortgage for his huge house in Rochester, Minnesota. Since Ato Hailu made himself unavailable to answer such questions, it is difficult to get to the bottom of this credible allegation. But this could also explain the reason why Hailu Shawel has been trying to obstruct the Kinijit delegation’s tour in the U.S. A serious investigation must be conducted by an independent accounting firm into Ato Hailu’s involvement in the diverting of hundreds of thousands of dollars that were collected in the name of Kinijit.

The hoax being played on the people of Ethiopia by Hailu Shawel and friends does not stop with finance. Just before rushing to the U.S. to protect his friends from investigation, Ato Hailu held meetings with central committee members of his former party, the AEUP. Out of the central committee’s 110 members, only 16 showed up. And out of the 9 executive committee members, only 3 showed up. Four executive committee members — Ato Gizachew Shiferaw, Ato Aschalew Ketema, Ato Brook Kebede and Ato Akalu Girgire — who called the meeting illegal and did not show up were summarily fired by Hailu Shawel and replaced with Dr. Tadios Bogale, Wzr. Mesobework Kitaw, Ato Zeleke Alemu, and Shaleqa Argaw Kabtamu. The fifth member, Ato Mulat Tasew, had left the AEUP executive committee before the Kinijit merger. Hailu Shawel also formed a four-member finance committee including himself and Wzr Mesebework Kitaw, Dr Tadios Bogale, and Shaleqa Getachew Mengiste. Additionally, Ato Hailu formed an AEUP task force of seven individuals that will reorganize the party through out the country. All these decisions were being made with the presence of only 3 out of the 9 AEUP executive committee members and 16 out of the 110 AEUP council members.

After telling the people of Ethiopia and Kinijit supporters around the world that all the four parties that created Kinijit no longer exist, Ato Hailu Shawel has been busy reorganizing his own party behind the scene and paying mortage for his house in Minnesota with the money collected in the name of Kinijit.

72 thoughts on “The hoax being played on us by the Hailu Shawel gang”

  2. Elias,

    You are doing a wonderful job. Please, do not refrain from posting whatever is there we should know about Hailu Shawel and his corruption.

    The Shaleka-Eprp-Taye, Axis of Evils, should be exposed to the public.
    Berta,

  5. Thank you Eliase, i heared about the mortgage before you made it public. keep up the good work

    Hailu shawel must be investigated, he already involved in the shalquas corruption. He is the most useless person.

  8. Does any one has the address for Hailu Shawel’s huge house in Rochester, Minnesota ?
    Elias, I’m one of your fas, good job!! Please post the address of his house and then we can confirm that he is the real owner from the county website. GOD bless you !!

  10. Let Hailu Shauel take his servants with him and form his own Fudalist Party. I think He made a mistake when he joined Kinijit. With due respect if the learned gentleman is willing to understand the difference between Democracy and Autocracy.
    I for one respectfully recommend him to consult his Political advisor “The Scientist.”

    Thank U Elias for the timely analytical editorial.

  11. Dear Editor I read your reference THE SHLEKA GANG…,Let me simply say this 1.being a shaleka is not a sin as you well aware of it to get in to the shaleka rank it takes a real breave Men and Women in our countery.IT requires also heroiesem I listend to SHLEKA YOSEF interviw on that I realy got to now him I found out he is a true son of ETHIOPIA don’t get me wrong I never MET this Man.I highly recomend to you to liston to his radio enterviw then may be you will get the real picture who this man is.Until then see you in anpther topic PEACE.LONG LIVE KINIJIT with The leadrship of CHAIRMAN HAILU SHAWL!!!

  12. Elias, exaclty what I strongly suspected!!!! I am glad you got the guts to say it and we have come long enough to expose such crimes against our dream of democracy!!

    Kibur Ato Hailu Shawel:

    I advice you to have your own private “party” like Lidetu and leave Kinijit alone, because Kinijit is Ethiopians’ not a private organization!!

    You can’t practice to fly by driving, therefore, you can’t lead a movement for democracy in an authocratic way… too bad your story ended like this, but we the people will move on… yih ye harger guday new!! Ye-and sew Aydelem.

    Metne yestot!!
    Former Admirer

  13. I heared the report by Yenealem. I found it to be painfully unprofessional and one that doesn’t remotely follow established audit procedures and ethical standards. So my curiosity got the better of me and I looked up if Mrs Yenealem was indeed the ‘Tax Accountant” that Dr Taye said she was when he introduced her. And I googled her it took only seconds to find out who she really is. According to a paper prepared by Dr. Mary Watson titled “Africans to America: The Unfolding of Identity” She said I quote:
    ” From Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Yenealem Kebede, her husband Gedion Fanta, and their children Bethlehem and Sophanite. Yenealem Kebede came to the United States for education in 1982 and met her husband Gedion Fanta a few years later. They married and have two daughters, Bethlehem (13), and Sophanite (9). Both Yen and Gedion are from central Ethiopia where the Amharic language is dominant. Yen works for the Internal Revenue Service as a customer service agent in the accounts management department. Gedion owns, and is the primary cook for the Abyssinian Café, an Ethiopian restaurant in Denver. They are members of the St. Mary’s Ethiopian Orthodox church in Denver, Colorado.”
    Here is the link.
    http://www.africamigration.com/content/watson.html

    May be Dr Taye has no clue about the difference between a Tax Accountant and Customer Service Agent or he is deliberately misleading his followers to think that the audit was performed by a professional. Just in case Dr Taye doesn’t know, a Tax Accountant is a specialized and often complex branch of accountancy and one has to have an advanced level degree to be called Tax Accountant. In contrast a customer service agent is one that requires a high school equivalent level of education. I thought people have a right to know and it is unethical and immoral, if not criminal, to collect money by mileading people.
    I will stand corrected if W/ro Yenealem had completed her education after this report. Otherwise, I think Dr. Taye has an explaining to do and an apology to the followers.

  15. Elias,
    Thank you for this explosive revelation. You and the auditor, Tesfaye, have helped us understand the main reason for the dictatorial behavior of HS. All one needed to do was follow the money, and the persistence of you 2 guys has paid off. Now we know the enemy within. BTW I doubt if they will collect the $26k you think they raised. Are you also counting the $20k pledged by the KIC (keysee) leaders including $5k from solomon? Well you know how these pledges go. I will be surprised if they collect the remaining $6k, and even if they did, that will leave them with negative $4k after paying Bedru’s claim of $10k. The other day I saw Nigist driving her donated car in DC. Hahaahahah.

  16. I wrote weeks a go that Hailu would not have taken these disgraceful acts to defend the Shaleqa group for no reason. He says NO to Accountability, NO to Transparency.

    He was a respected leader by all of us until he put his integrity into question with his reckless interviews. He could have still played a safe, matured politics without being divisive and disappointing anyone. He hastened the end of his political life on October 14.

    All we needed from him was as simple as attending the town hall meetings with the delegation and disbanding KIC. If he had done these things, I am sure, he wouldn’t have lost our sympathy that fast. With what he did, he surely knows that he will not get a serious follower. At best, he will be left with a divided and weak party (even if he goes back to AEUP). Yet, he was determined to take extremely embarassing steps, something no sane person would wilfully do.

    Who expected Hailu to make a confidant, out of a Bedru who publicly betrayed Kinijit? Who on earth thought he would sink morally to the lowest and attack his own compatriots the way he did? Above all, did anyone, ever imagine him forging an unholy alliance with the ghost of a non existent party?

    WHAT TURNED A RESPECTED MAN REALLY THAT DESPERATE? WHY???
    HS enjoyed unbriddled power in AEUP and was known much for his benovelence, generousity to members and financing the party with his own money. Probably, the problem lies somewhere here. I think, this really begs a serious research.

  18. dear ER,
    good job these people angered my dad and I. i am so proud of you for the report. my dad spend tremondous time on that fund raiser he did a lot for Kinijit and the outcome being this makes me sad. WoW i can’t believe people for money do such a thing

  20. May be Dr Taye has no clue about the difference between a Tax Accountant and Customer Service Agent or he is deliberately misleading his followers to think that the audit was performed by a professional. Just in case Dr Taye doesn’t know, a Tax Accountant is a specialized and often complex branch of accountancy and one has to have an advanced level degree to be called Tax Accountant. In contrast a customer service agent is one that requires a high school equivalent level of education. I thought people have a right to know and it is unethical and immoral, if not criminal, to collect money by mileading people.
    I will stand corrected if W/ro Yenealem had completed her education after this report. Otherwise, I think Dr. Taye has an explaining to do and an apology to the followers.

  21. Let Hailu Shauel take his servants with him and form his own Fudalist Party. I think He made a mistake when he joined Kinijit. With due respect if the learned gentleman is willing to understand the difference between Democracy and Autocracy.
    I for one respectfully recommend him to consult his Political advisor “The Scientist.”

    Thank U Elias for the timely analytical editorial.

  22. Breaking News!!!!!!!
    The new Edition of the Webster English Dictionary just came out. New words just to name a few;

    SOLOMONIZED= Pledges not delivered
    SHAWEL= A failed leadership
    AN OWNER OF TWO PLEDGED CARS= In your Dreams
    MIRCHAW= A low-level neighborhood career thief
    SHALEQA= A soldier without an army

  23. Thank you Elias, it’s a blessing that you stand for Kinijit. Your investigative journalism should be a beacon for others to follow. I have been following your website everyday and I have found it to be very genuine, honest and direct. Today’s investigative article about Hailu Shawel and KIC’s group is very informative. I admire your zeal and determination to seek the truth. Keep up the good work.
    Let God be with you!

  24. Now we know why Mr Hailu shawel wanted to get here first before anyone esle. Mr shawele scraficed his jailed comrades just to cover up his misconduct…It is not Mr Hailu Shawel first time to sacrifice innocent people for his owen end! We can name Prfo..Asserat ..197 ppl who took bullet on their head..etc…I thank God for not letting him come first and blind our eyes…What I miss now is that guy during white House rally, who use to call Gorge Bush.. Shame on you Bush! Shame.. Shame ..Shame !!!
    Long Live Kinijit..with a new chairman.

  25. This Dagna, chikashum gelemele will understood the fundamentals of real democracy soon. This guys were dictators, thieves and gangs at all. We deserve it, what else should they say? It is not cement factory but it is political landscape which we supported them and which they embarrassed us.

  26. Elias & Dear T,

    If only 1/2 of this story turns out to be true, it will be sufficient for the total demise of HS and his group. This is the type of investigative and factual reporting and journalism Ethiopian democracy needs. Others should follow the lead and complete the story and establish the facts.

    There are three kinds of facts -(1) physical/tangible objective facts such as printed paper, things, pictures, tapes, cars, houses, gifts. (2) Events and actions (also objective facts. These are visible, oberved, seen events, happenings, meetings, phone callings, and all kinds of activities that seen and witnessed by people. (3) subjective facts – these are thoughts, feelings, ideas, and information held in people’a minds. The investigators need to interview, ask, interrogate, and question those people who hold (store) these subjective facts to express them in print, video and audio forms so that they can be useful objective facts.

    This is a lesson in democratic process.

    In the content of the main issue: (a) there is a reason, a hidden intention why HS and his group want to be obscure and secretive. (b) the reson behind the HS $ issue could be his desire to build his own AEUP and use the CUD $ to do so. All of these points will affect the future path of Kinijit.

  31. Selam,

    I understand these people are running after money, money, money,,,,,,. But now, the case of the house is really
    surprising, if it’s ture. AYE KINJIT, Yemasema yelem.

  32. Comment #8:

    Is this a true comment? does he really own a house in Minnesota? or is it his kids? If the kids own it, then it has nothing to do with him. And they should be capable in buying a house as long as they are doing the right thing. So fill us some info. please…what is the house all about?

  34. Also sent to his current e-mail address “[email protected]”

    To Dr. Woldesemait,

    I got a chance to attend last week’s meeting in Washington DC, where you were a moderator. Without doubt, I could read that you were lying the entire time. I don’t know who you are before you joined Kinijit. You must have done good things before because people are very upset about you these days. I think, you have somehow compromised your personal integrity for money ( money which is collected in the name of Kinijit from those who worked day and night to earn it). I read some of the things written in http://www.Kinijit.org, probably by you. I believe, you and Mr. Shawel are those kind of guys who enjoy fame and object anyone better than you guys. Look how the Kinijit delegation is being received by the vast majority of ethiopians residing in the U.S. Apart from Mr. Shawel, you are the biggest problem on kinijit’s way. I have no idea how you could teach political science while you behave like a dictator. May be your students do not know how twisted you are. I, respectfully, ask you to think twice how your actions hurt ethiopians back home. I’m really surprised about the e-mail that Diana K. Mariam wrote to you. You must have some good communication with her in order to recieve that hate e-mail (you know which e-mail I’m taking about).

    have a good day,
    the concerned

  35. Elias,

    I have just read all the comments. By now, it is clear who Hailu Showel et al are and what they are up to. Haily Showel has totally lost our confidence.

    The next important step to take is how can we collect concrete evidence accompanied by videos, interviews, and paper documents to finalize all the crimes that has been committed by Hailu Showel et al in the name of Kinijit with our money.

    A case in point is the evidence provided as a printed material by Inquiring Minds on #30 and the other one about the story of Yenealem some one dug out from the internet (amazing). These are two major evidences that should get front page covering instead of being buried in the pile of comments. If people see the credibility of Ato Tesfaye Asmamaw as clearly seen in the pdf documents, Hailu Showel and his gangs will certainly loose 100% confidence in Ethiopia as well as in the diaspora.

    Please put these pdf documents along with yenealem story onj front page after checking your facts.

  36. Elias, You displayed the truth and the whole truth.
    I am very dismayed by really happened at the end.
    We all have to fight and work together in the future.
    I look forward to hear more news in the near future.
    Ethiopia will prevail.

  37. This Yenealem, described by Dr Taye as an accountant is so clever yet so transparent!!!! She claimed her group started with $250000.oo transferred illegally by Shaleqa from Kinijit, and 55000 plus… from fundraising, for a total of $308000. SHE PURPOSELY AND DELIBERATLY OMITS $60.000 stolen by Engineer Moges Brook from our Los Angeles chapter. Thus simple arithmetic shows the corrrect figure to be $368000, out of which only $12000 remains. The rest is mystery and history…….does she know addition?..or does she think we are all stupid.
    She also lied when she claimed that Ato Berhane et al refused to show her documents and receipts for the period prior to August 19 2006! What a lie! Wasn’t she a member of the Cheru Commision whose mission was stifled because her Shaleqa refused flat out to provide documents because he did not recognize their manadate to audit him claiming EXCECUTIVE PRIVILEDGE?

    SORRY,YENEALEM, WHO IS REALLY STUPID HERE?
    STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES.

  39. Dear ER,

    By the way, according to the report by Shaleqa’s auditor Yenealem, the $62,000 was paid for “Aend Radio( andenet.com )”, not Andinet, and to Ethiopiawinet Radio (Merchaw Seneshaw’s radio).

    For those of you who don’t know, the owner of Andenet Radio(Andenet.com) is W/O Diana K. Mariam. She is also the coordinator of the editorial board of Kinijit.org.

  41. Elias,

    Well done on the report. But we need to provide evidence on what you mentioned like the house in Rochester, Minnesota. Once proven, can we have the address of the property so that each kinijit Supporter of the Diaspora and back home should write a letter asking him for his immediate resignation.

    Katchisaw, regarding your coment above regarding the so called Shaleqa, if he has been brave, he should have been fighting and struggling in Ethiopia not messing up the Diaspora in the US.

  42. Now I understand while Hailu Shawl refuses to face Ethiopians face to face. He has chosen to undermine his supporters by using Dergue era criminals like Mirchaw and EPRP deadheads like DK to cover up the misdeeds of his close family and friends. It is also clear from the facts that Elias was able to assemble in such a short time, people like Diana K. Mariam are supporting KIC not because of some misguided notion of supporting democracy in Ethiopia but MONEY. From the undeniable facts based on the above postings alone, it is clear that the October 14, 2007 so called ‘Financial Report’ by the now infamous ‘Tax Accountant Extraordinaire Yenealem Kebede’ is nothing more than the biggest white wash of the century this side of the Atlantic.

    Quo vadis Hailu Shawl?

    -former supporter

  43. Elias,

    First, thank you, for your hard work.

    Second, I, totaly, agree with #35’s opinion, where he said “…A case in point is the evidence provided as a printed material by Inquiring Minds on #30 and the other one about the story of Yenealem some one dug out from the internet (amazing). These are two major evidences that should get front page covering instead of being buried in the pile of comments. If people see the credibility of Ato Tesfaye Asmamaw as clearly seen in the pdf documents, Hailu Showel and his gangs will certainly loose 100% confidence in Ethiopia as well as in the diaspora.

    Please put these pdf documents along with yenealem story onj front page after checking your facts.”

    Ato Taye’s “accountant” should be exposed, naked.
    BTW, the “accountant” is 24 hours at the Weyane (Ezana) Paltalk room by the name ADBARE. We all thought, she was just a concerned Ethiopian sharing her opinion when she defends dictator Hailu. Now, we know that she is one of the crooks. ስኳር ቅማለች::

  45. Elias,
    Our brother thank you and God bless you for updating and revealing the truth to your readers. Keep up the good work… tell it as it is..

    GOD’S BLESSINGS TO YOU

  46. I heard the report by Yenealem. I am not sure if Yenealem is a CPA or not. If she is not, she can not give an opinion on the financial statement. But she can compile the report based on whatever the document available. That means it is not auditors report. The books can be cooked until the auditor gives unqualified opinion. Elias, please find out if she is a CPA or not.

  47. Ato Hailu Shawel, how are you going to face those Ethiopians were willing to die for you, because they believed that you wouldn’t let them down. They saw you as their liberator. Now they need to be liberated from you. I don’t think you plan to go back and continue ‘business as usual’. Or should I say ” Welcome to the Diaspora”

  48. Good job Elias,

    We need more tangible evidence. I will say find some Ethiopians who are working as a private investigator around Minnesota and DC and assign them to go after these guys and bring to justice. I am afraid, though, they may be diverted the Kiniget money to the account of AEUP. If that is the case we can not do any think.

  50. wow what the amazing story I read, O my God lot of kinjit supporters should read this and they should know where their money spent with those crooks, Elias # 13 should posted on your front page web, because it has a lot Evidence about Adbare( diaspora) accountant, and all this it make sense why Ato hailu cover up all those things, and change his trip from germany to USA, and start confusing people to hid ethe truth,
    we need to call VOA and let them to ask about this, what a shame cover up hmmmmmmmmmm.

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