A prosecutor in Dubai drops charges on six Ethiopian meat exporters

 

ADDIS ABABA –THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD Newspaper 1 May 2016: A prosecutor in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has dropped the charges on six Ethiopian meat exporters over allegations that they had exported meat that did not qualify the required quality standards.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, the charge filed by Tareeq Al Huda Meat and Foodstuff, an importer based in UAE alleged the company had received a “not-up to-the standard” meat from the six Ethiopian meat exporters during a period exceeding over six months. The charges came at a time when the six Ethiopian meat exporters had been in Dubai to take part in the Gulf Food exhibition which was held from February 21-25, 2016.
Since their arrival, the six meat exporters were banned from leaving the country, while two of them had been detained for a couple of days. The Ethiopian meat exporters maintained that the exports were made as per the terms and conditions of the agreement.
Given that the prosecutor had already dropped the charges, the six Ethiopian meat exporters are now free to leave the country. Ever since, the case began, and during the months that followed before the charges have been labeled as “criminal case,” Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates have shown commendable will and commitment in settling the case in the spirit of mutual cooperation. These include the sustained efforts by the Ethiopian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign affairs and their UAE counterparts.
The Ethiopian government through the Middle East Affairs Directorate General at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in concert with the Ethiopian Consulate in Dubai and the Ethiopian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has been working with the UAE officials to settle the case amicably.