Charge empty of
concrete proofs
Teddy accused of hit-and-run car accident

Ethiopian Icon, musician, songwriter and producer,
Tewodros Kassahun alias Teddy Afro was released
on bail yesterday after being held in Police custody
as of Friday November 3, 2006, for allegedly hit-and-run
car accident that cause a death of a homeless, young boy.

Police claim (from Fortune Newspaper):
A man claiming to be taxi driver called the police and gave the plate number of a BMW that had allegedly caused the accident. A car with the same number later collided with a concrete barricade in the CMC area near Lucy Academy. The sources said that the car was registered under Teddy Afro's name.

Teddy appeared at court on Friday, where the court adjourned the hearing for next week as to grant Police few more days for investigation and; released him on 50,000 Br. bail.

And again on Fortune Newspaper, it stated:
A source from Addis Abeba Traffic Police Main department said that police were trying to find the person who claimed to be a taxi driver and tipped the Police about the accident.

The Police aren't even aware of their informer neither they have examined Teddy's car. This assures, they don't have any tangible evidence as yet that asserts Teddy or even his car being involved in any accident. All the information they have is, a homeless, young boy reported to be dead and an anonymous person informed the police that he had witnessed the accident and thus he gave the plate number of the committer's vehicle, which turnout to be Teddy's car. And it seems, the reason the Police asked for four more days is to clarify these points.

The Ethiopian Criminal Code states, a driver who hits pedestrian to their death and happen to drive more than 15 meters from the accident scene, will be considered to have committed homicide. And, if enough evidence is found against the accused, a serious punishment of up to 15 years imprisonment will be enforced.

It's to be recalled that Teddy Afro's last album that consists the song "Yasteseriyal" is regarded as hazardous political song along with "Chemin de Fer" and "Uu Uutaye" by state-controlled Ethiopian Television and radio channels and that the songs to be banned from going on air.

Many linked this scenario with the anger the regime might have conceived on the artist for releasing those songs and that this could be a fabricated charges to lock him up as an avenge.

Teddy Afro was out of Ethiopia for almost ten months and his departure was a relief for many of his fans fearing he would encounter problems with the government, if he stays. Though, it appears the artist haven't feared repression as his fans does that he returned to his country as soon as he finished touring to US, Europe and the Middle East, reassuring once again, he is the man ahead of the game.