Addis Ababa: The uncle of an Ethiopian pilot who hijacked a flight to Rome and took it to Geneva said today that his nephew had been distraught over the loss of another uncle.
The uncle, Alemu Asmamaw, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that 31-year-old co-pilot Hailemedhin Abera was in emotional distress over the past month following the sudden death of an uncle. He did not say how Hailemedhin`s uncle died.
"I fear that the death of his uncle...Has put a strain on his life," he said. He named the uncle as Emiru Seyoum and said he taught at Ethiopia`s Addis Ababa University. An obituary for Emiru Seyoum on the Addis Ababa University website said the associate professor died suddenly on Jan. 1 while going from his home to the university.
Hailemedhin, who had worked for Ethiopian Airlines for five years, yesterday locked the pilot of a Rome-bound flight out of the cockpit and then diverted the plane to Geneva, where he sought asylum. The flight had taken off from Addis Ababa.
Redwan Hussein, a spokesman for Ethiopia`s government, told reporters yesterday that Hailemedhin had no prior criminal record. Redwan said the government would seek Hailemedhin`s extradition from Switzerland, where he is now in custody.
Geneva prosecutor Olivier Jornot said the co-pilot will be charged with taking hostages, a crime punishable by up to 20 years.
State-owned Chinese company warned over discipline breaches
Beijing: A state-owned Chinese company which operates the world`s biggest hydropower project has reportedly been warned by the ruling Communist Party`s top anti-graft watchdog over discipline breaches and economic irregularities.
The?Party`s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) yesterday gave the feedback to the Three Gorges Corporation after conducting a two-month-long investigation, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported today.
Hou Kai, director of the CCDI inspection team, pointed out problems found during the investigation, including officials allowing secret project bidding, abusing their power to hire relatives and occupying multiple apartments, Chinese state media reported.
The investigation is part of graft inspections based on the directive of President Xi Jinping for central leadership to lead a campaign against corruption.
Since last June CCDI has carried out the first round of graft inspections, sending ten groups of discipline inspectors to investigate five provinces, three large state-owned enterprises, a central government ministry and a university, the report said.
The company was responsible for construction of the Three Gorges Dam-project, the world largest hydroelectric power plant, that went into operation in 2008.
