Prosecutors Unveil 1.7m Bribery Case Against CBE Vice-President

Federal prosecutors charged Nuri Hussein, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia's vice president for CBE Noor, the interest-free banking, in a bribery case that has now moved from investigation to open court.

In a hearing before the Federal High Court’s Lideta Division, Fourth Anti-Corruption Bench, today, March 31, 2026, prosecutors accused Nuri of "receiving 1.7 million Br in bribes" to "facilitate a loan for a borrower."

The charges filed before a three-judge bench, place Nuri at the centre of a case that now straddles allegations of bribery, abuse of office and the concealment of illicit proceeds. Prosecutors argue that the former CBE Noor Executive used his position to extract personal benefit in return for facilitating a loan, then sought to shield the origin of the proceeds by making them appear legitimate.

Prosecutors also named his sister-in-law, Rihana Workineh, as a co-defendant, alleging that she was involved in the case with him. Nuri appeared in court with his lawyers, while Rihana was absent.

Prosecutors charged that Nuri solicited 1.7 million Br in both cash and in-kind payments from a borrower and "abused his official authority for personal gain." They also allege that he tried to present proceeds obtained through unlawful means as legitimate. Rihana, prosecutors alleged, worked with Nuri and helped portray the alleged criminal acts as lawful transactions.

The courtroom developments today also came against the backdrop of an earlier legal battle over Nuri’s release. The case had already passed through the Lideta Division Pre-Trial Bench, which ruled in his favour on bail, prompting investigators to challenge the ruling before the Federal Supreme Court Appellate Bench. That appellate bench had been expected to rule on the matter today, and upheld the lower court’s decision granting bail.

However, the trajectory of the case shifted once formal charges were filed. After the prosecution formally lodged the charges, the Fourth Anti-Corruption Bench ordered that Nuri remain in custody, effectively overtaking the earlier bail outcome and signalling that the case had entered a new procedural phase.

For the defence, the immediate priority was time. Nuri’s lawyers asked federal judges for more time to file objections to the charges, a request that pushed the case into its next stage rather than into immediate argument over the substance of the allegation. The Court adjourned the case to next week and ordered the second defendant to appear at the next hearing.

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