METEC (acronym for Metals and Engineering Corporation) is an Ethiopian

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

and

machinery industry The machine industry or machinery industry is a subsector of the industry, that produces and maintains machines for consumers, the industry, and most other companies in the economy. This machine industry traditionally belongs to the heavy indust ...

founded in 2010. Being the state largest

military industrial complex A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, it is responsible for the production of military equipment and civilian products. METEC works with foreign companies such as

Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...

from France, and Spire Corporation from America.

Controversy

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

METEC was once responsible for constructing the $4 billion

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam , image = , image_caption = The main dam after first filling , image_alt = , location_map_caption = , coordinates = , country = Ethiopia , location = Guba, Benishangul-Gumuz Region , purpose = Power , status = UC , construction_began ...

project on the River

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

, expected to be Africa’s biggest hydroelectric project, but was ousted from the contract in August 2018. Kinfe Dagnew, a Brigadier General in Ethiopia’s army and former chief executive of METEC plays a significant role in the organization. The company was assigned development of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and sugar factory, as well as the

Jinka Jinka is a market town in southern Ethiopia. Located in the hills north of the Tama Plains, this town is the capital of the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. Currently Jinka is the center of Jinka town adm ...

Sugar Bag factory. On 12 November 2018, all assigned project canceled due to fail to complete, and government arrested Kinfe Dagnew, CEO of METEC, after a trial to escape through

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

, where he was captured by Defence force. Kinfe Dagnew arrived in helicopter to

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

. Many METEC officials were prosecuted for corruption on the project.

Tax evasion

In April 2018, Kinfe Dagnew resigned the company after serving entire eight years, when Prime Minister

Abiy Ahmed Abiy Ahmed Ali ( om, Abiyi Ahmed Alii; am, አብይ አሕመድ ዐሊ; born 15 August 1976) is an Ethiopian politician who has been the 4th prime minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia since 2 April 2018. He won the 2019 ...

became head of the ruling party

Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF; am, የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች አብዮታዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ግንባር, translit=Ye’Ītiyop’iya Ḥizibochi Ābiyotawī Dīmokirasīyawī Ginibari) was an eth ...

. The company remained unknown when it was operated by TPLF. In June, parliamentary committee found that METEC squandered hundreds of machinery products worthing 326.4 million dollars without study of the market. Sources say that the

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) is the largest commercial bank in Ethiopia. As of June 2021, it had about 1.1 trillion birr in assets and held approximately 67% of deposits and about 53% of all bank loans in the country. The bank has arou ...

squandered 2.8 million dollars without completion of sugar projects, and revealed the company borrowed 436 million dollars.

Kinfe Dagnew arrest

On 12 November 2018, the Chief executive officer, Kinfe Dagnew was arrested by the

Ethiopian National Defense Force The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) ( am, የኢፌዲሪ መከላከያ ሠራዊት, Ye’īfēdērī mekelakeya šerawīt, lit=FDRE Defense Force) is the military force of Ethiopia. Civilian control of the military is carried out t ...

after attempt for escape through Sudan border. He was founded with an empty briefcase believed to be illegally transporting goods. Shortly after hours, an Ethiopian Air Force helicopter dispatched from Debrezeit airbase brought Kinfe Dagnew to Addis Ababa. 40 of the company's officials were detained after they called for meeting in Imperial Hotel, Gerji, Addis Ababa. Some newspapers quoted that they were transferred to Addis Ababa Police Commission; then temporarily jailed by Federal Police.

References

External links

* {{authority control Companies based in Addis Ababa Government-owned companies of Ethiopia Military industrial facilities of Ethiopia Defence companies Companies established in 2000 2000 establishments in Ethiopia Manufacturing companies of Ethiopia