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Sudan Tribune

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Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

August 1, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) – An Ethiopian court sentenced a Sudanese national to one year in prison for attempting to smuggle US$70,000 through the country’s major airport terminal.

Mutasim Abdulletif was caught last year while attempting to pass customs security check at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, hiding the stated amount of cash in a laptop bag before it was detected by an x-ray machine.

The Ethiopia law prohibits any individual leaving the country with more than US$3,000 unless granted authorisation from the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA).

The Federal First Instance Court found the defendant guilty on charges of smuggling foreign currency and sentenced him to serve one-year term of imprisonment. The money was confiscated at the court’s order and he was ordered to pay a US$1,77 fine.

The defendant admitted committing the crime to the court, but pleaded not guilty arguing he was not aware of the law since he came to the country as an investor. However he failed to prove to the court that he registered the foreign exchange up on arrival.

The defendant argued his lack of knowledge of the laws of the country should be taken into consideration.

Through his lawyer, Abdulletif presented a written defence statement in which he said that the money was a payment from Beil Herbert International, a company found in Dubai, as remuneration for the service he rendered and presented a recommendation letter from the company as evidence.

Although the offence he committed was punishable up to five years imprisonment the court has taken considerations of his inadequate knowledge to the laws of the country, his willingness to cooperate with the court and his admission as mitigating circumstances.

(ST)

12 Comments

  • Khartoum92
    Khartoum92

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    What a garbage country, what is any Sudanese doing in this shitty country.. Sudanese government betta do something

    Reply
  • DeltaBravo
    DeltaBravo

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    I hate Ethiopian they are so arrogant people. How come they arest someone who didnt steal money, they guy works hard for his money and there they end up in poor corrupted Country like Ethiopia.

    Reply
  • Michael Angelo
    Michael Angelo

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    Ethiopian government together with their pathetic court shouldn’t confiscate all the money since my former brother didn’t steal them. He should sue Ethiopian court by confiscated all his monies.

    Reply
  • henok
    henok

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    Khartoum92,
    Your words clearly tell where you are from. Any sane person from Sudan does not say this so. It is only the one who was born and grew up in the ever cursed land of eritrea that makes such non-sense insults to a country which was your colonizer. I wish I get you in person and put a killo of cow dung into your filthy mouth.

    This man has transgressed the law of the land and will be fined accordingly. It has nothing to do with the broader Sudanese government and people.
    Long live the fraternity of Sudan and Ethiopia.
    More sanction to PFDJ old jackals.

    Reply
  • henok
    henok

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    DeltaBravo,
    Khartoum92,
    Your words clearly tell where you are from. Any sane person from Sudan does not say this so. It is only the one who was born and grew up in the ever cursed land of eritrea that makes such non-sense insults to a country which was your colonizer. I wish I get you in person and put a killo of cow dung into your filthy mouth.

    This man has transgressed the law of the land and will be fined accordingly. It has nothing to do with the broader Sudanese government and people.
    Long live the fraternity of Sudan and Ethiopia.
    More sanction to PFDJ old jackals.

    Reply
  • henok
    henok

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    Michealangelo,
    Khartoum92,
    Your words clearly tell where you are from. Any sane person from Sudan does not say this so. It is only the one who was born and grew up in the ever cursed land of eritrea that makes such non-sense insults to a country which was your colonizer. I wish I get you in person and put a killo of cow dung into your filthy mouth.

    This man has transgressed the law of the land and will be fined accordingly. It has nothing to do with the broader Sudanese government and people.
    Long live the fraternity of Sudan and Ethiopia.
    More sanction to PFDJ old jackals.

    Reply
  • henok
    henok

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    Deltabravo,
    Khartoum92,
    Your words clearly tell where you are from. Any sane person from Sudan does not say this so. It is only the one who was born and grew up in the ever cursed land of eritrea that makes such non-sense insults to a country which was your colonizer. I wish I get you in person and put a killo of cow dung into your filthy mouth.

    This man has transgressed the law of the land and will be fined accordingly. It has nothing to do with the broader Sudanese government and people.
    Long live the fraternity of Sudan and Ethiopia.
    More sanction to PFDJ old jackals.

    Reply
  • DeltaBravo
    DeltaBravo

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    To Henok

    You are such small mind person, how comes you repeat the same statement if you are educated. You used the same statement over and over again that indicated you as Elementary school student. Take English classes,so that you can write different sentences clearly.

    Reply
  • Khartoum92
    Khartoum92

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    What colonizer?? you Ethiopian piece of garbage. why dont you take care of Eritrea before thinking about sudan. You will never colonize Sudan infect it was the other way around Ethiopia was part of Kush a Sudanese kingdom so now who is the colonizer

    Reply
  • henok
    henok

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    Deltabravo,
    Yap. I know I hit you hard on the temple part of your mucus filled head. Do not worry about my English or schooling. The reader will judge us who needs to go to an elementay school. I know how the destitute Eritreans behave when they get the blow. They just rattle in agony before they make their way to the ground.

    Khartoum92,
    Just hold your breath and read carefully what I have said in my comment. I did not say any bad word against the kind people of Sudan. When I talk of colonization, you as an Eritrean should have grasped it faster than any one else. What I said is Eritrea has been a colony of Ethiopia for years, and you still are at our mercy. If you keep messing with Ethiopia once again, you will take the last hit. I think you very well know this, and that is why you are not daring to directly confront Ethiopia.
    Got it?

    Reply
  • zella
    zella

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    Kartoum 9
    It is not neccessary to call our country “a garbage”.You can express your disappointments and dislike of the law by just explaining without insulting the millons of people who call their country a home.

    How the Ethiopian law prevent this man taking back home his hard working incentive?.How? and Why? the law only limited to $3000 Dollars?.Can he put it in the bank and will receive up on his a place of destination?.Some one need to explain to the readers what is the law of other countries?.
    It is unfortunate, this man beside loosing his money he has to serve a one year jail time.

    Henock
    You should apolgize for that kind of behavior ,you can let yourself heard with out being rude.

    Reply
  • Frederik Bos
    Frederik Bos

    Ethiopia: Sudanese man faces jail term for attempt to smuggle $70,000
    As a Dutch citizen I have spent four years, with much pleasure, in Sudan.
    During this period I have worked with Mutasim Abdellatif, a real professional and a sincere person.
    I am truly convinced that Mutasim did not know the regulations of Ethiopia, besides his intention was to use the US$ funds in order to establish a business in Addis Ababa and was busy to open a bank account in Addis.
    Of course I agree that we have to obey the regulations of a country, this not only applies to Ethiopia but also to Sudan.
    I sincerely hope that the government of Sudan will do everything to assist Mutasim Abdellatif in order to appeal against his verdict and to receive his money back.

    Frederik Bos, Libreviile in Gabon

    Reply
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