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Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Was Teddy Afro framed?

Inside the New York Cafe, one of the trendiest places in Addis, a tall and lean young man with the tiniest of fingers was sitting sipping orange juice with a straw. A woman in blue jeans and thong sandals was besides him. Minutes later, I watched as a person of the same age, well clad, walked through the cafe as if both of his knees hurt and joined the duo. Their warm exchange of greeting was quickly followed by a chat about Jose Mourinho and Chelsea. They then jumped to the city's hottest topic: Teddy Afro.
"I think he did it. Why should we doubt it? Don't we know his life style?" the orange sipping man said.
The woman had none of that. She interjected angrily. "What I know is what they are up to. He was framed. He denied the accusation in court and there is no way I would believe them than him. These bastards!" The grave expression showed her disgust towards the government.
The conversation heated up. The man who was arguing the story's truth was cornered by his friends and ended up warning against sentimentality. He took a deep breath. "We shouldn't confuse our political convictions with reality," he advised.
Wondering all over the city, this exchange was one I had seen in Taxis, cafes, offices and even sports bars. His love and reconciliation preaching songs had elevated Tewodros Kasahun to the status of a national hero unlike any musician before him. And he is a slick operator; acting and speaking in a way that piles up his good will. The EPRDF with their perchance for hating individuals with man-of-the-people image tried to silence and discredit the singer who is affectionately called "Teddy Afro". They tore his posters in the city. They unleashed a smear campaign on his life style. In what is now dubbed as the Sheraton Scandal, the wife of Ethiopian Ambassador to the US, Samuel Assefa, punched the hotel's ticket seller for refunding money to those who returned their New Year party tickets after Teddy cancelled his show. After the popular singer left to the US for a music tour, some former TPLF fighters accused him of defaming them and police issued an arrest warrant.
This blogger was among the many who thought Teddy made a stupid decision when he returned back home two months ago. It was clear that the EPRDF were just bidding their time to go at him...revenge, for EPRDF, is a dish sweet eaten hot or cold.
The hit-and-run story was as suspicious as it could get. Police report runs like this: Teddy hit an 18-year-old street boy near the Sheraton Addis after mid-night with his 2001 BMW M3 and run away. A taxi, which was working nearby, chased the car, flew past it and when it tried to block the road Teddy crashed it and escaped. Then he drove to the CMC area, hit a pole. He was driving under the influence of alcohol. Police came to his home and arrested him four hours after the incident was alleged to have happened.
For those who know cars and the hilly Addis Ababa, it is a surprise to learn that a Lada taxi can chase and outpace a BMW being driven by a drunk driver. That nothing serious happened to the crashed taxi and its driver is a point worth pondering over. Miracles do happen, huh? Journalists at Fortune and Reporter could not even identify the taxi driver. After three accidents, two of them major, one also wonders how Teddy survived without a scratch. There must be revolutionary ferries shielding him from danger.
Teddy, of course, denied the hit-and-run story to a court although one comical newspaper tried to make us believe otherwise. According to his friends, the singer swore to God that he did not commit the alleged crime.
Whether he was framed or not, the moral of the story is clear. Except people like Louis Michel who think there is a democratic process to support in the country, not even children take the Ethiopian justice system seriously.

Note:
-The BBC got Justice Teshale Aberra's story slightly wrong. Justice Teshale was the President of Oromiya Supreme Court.

-There is a new blogger in town - another ferenj adds a voice. See www.lewit.blogspot.com

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

EZ,

As always, you bring us a story that touches our heart! I am sure he is framed, and I also believe innocent until proven guilty. For now it seems the government has no evidence to show Teddy Afro committed the crime. I am sure they are digging to frame Teddy.

DJ

Anonymous said...

you are correct, Teddy is framed. It is a typical habit of the TPLF, when ever it needs a cold revange.

Anonymous said...

I think teddy is not as clever as I THOUGHT HIM TO BE; why on earth he went back home after singing " be asrasebat merefe ye tekemew kumta..." by going back home was he trying to show us that tplf is democratic or what... they have showed us who they are by mowing hndreads in a broad daylight.

Anonymous said...

After seeing how snobish teddy afro has become in LA, it would not surprise me if he has done it. I had a big respect for that man until how disrespecting he was towards others at the soccer field. I have experienced it first hand - talking to Tamagne, he came up to me and rudly interupted us and told me to get out of his face. I wasn't even talking to him and that is what dissapointed me the most and regreted the fact that I bought all his albums and all. This guy has changed and I have heard that a lot from others as well. I don't think he would admit even if he has done a crime. Who wants to go to jail?

This guy preaching about love and the fame is getting to his head.

Anonymous said...

there is somthing going on, friends in addis tell me he had an accendent and that his car is damaged. and there is a dead boy in the city! same FUCKEN night,coincedent!? maybe!

BUT still i don't know man, they might have killed the poor guy but same night he has an accedent?!?

that is just too big to swallow

Anonymous said...

guys you are in effect giving an immunity for a 'celebrity' to do whatever he likes and argue that 'he was framed'. cannot you at least admit that teddy could be involved in an accident. accidents are not intentional. anybody could be involved in accidents. and if he tries to deny it, i will not be surprised. this is because he might fear of the ocnsequence. on the contrary i will be suprised if he admitted it. it is not a big deal. teddy was brought in a court of law. so what?

Anonymous said...

Samuel Assefa's wife is Aster Hiwot. She is the best friend of Azeb Mesfin. Her whole family was closely alligned with Tamrat Layne first and now Meles. Of course they are very friendly with Indrias Eshete.

Anonymous said...

Thanks EZ for the update and for your stellar analysis. I have to agree with you that Teddy was framed and I just can’t believe that he went back to Addis after his spat with Al Amoudi and the Woyanie thugs. What the hell is that kid thinking. I also have to agree with some of the bloggers that fame is starting to get the better of Teddy. I have observed that he has self destructive tendencies like disrespect for others and excessive drinking, which comes handy for TPLF blood suckers to wrap the crime of hit and run around his neck. Frankly I wouldn’t put it past the Woyanie thugs to murder an innocent bystander just to frame Teddy. After all what is one more dead street ‘Bozene’ to these blood suckers.

I wish Teddy all the best.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful writer

Anonymous said...

hi, friends in the diaspora, please come to your senses. Tedy has the right to go back home. Returning home does not mean working for tplf as leaving abroad or being a member of the diaspora does not necessarly mean one is on the front line of the freedom struggle.
Neither indivisual encounters with "me" could prove Tedi's behaviour. whether we belive or not he is public hero but with few equals from his generation.

Anonymous said...

com on people wake up woyane will kill not one innocent by stander but to put teddy away they don't mind killing a dozen!!! you might ask why, teddy afro brought one change in ethiopia that is, he send a clear message through his music especially for the you to involve in politics and be aware of what is going on! not only that through his music he has united the entire ethiopian in and out of the country, and has clearly mentioned the government as the internal enemy of ethiopians!!! so only for this reasons they are working hard to put teddy away!!
but one thing they fail to understand is that teddy is just a singer there are a lot of new singers willing to take his positions!!! my message to teddy is be brave who cares if they arrest you we all gonna die one day, but to die for the will of the people would be an honor you should be proud of!!!
god bless you and ethiopia!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

its good to be a Teddy you can get away with shit because people love you and the gov. is afriad of you...

remember O J simpson !!!

Anonymous said...

One anonymous wrote “guys you are in effect giving an immunity for a 'celebrity' to do whatever he likes and argue that 'he was framed'. cannot you at least admit that teddy could be involved in an accident. accidents are not intentional. anybody could be involved in accidents. and if he tries to deny it, i will not be surprised. this is because he might fear of the ocnsequence. on the contrary i will be suprised if he admitted it. it is not a big deal. teddy was brought in a court of law. so what?”

My true Ethiopian friend (that is if you are true Ethiopian), what “court of law” are you referring to? The same court of law used for Kinijit? I hope you’re not referring to that!! If you truly believe in court of law then I am sure you will believe in “innocent until proven guilty” and that can only happen if there is a court of law. If you are refereeing to the EPRDF court then I am afraid I and majority of the writers here will have to differ on your “court of law” argument.

DJ

Anonymous said...

EZ,

This is as far as you think!!

You can't talk about the poor. You even did't mention on what has happened to the 18 years old Street boy.

All the time you are like the paparazi, looking after those who can pay for your dirty work.

He is called Teddy afro, just because he called him self as such in his legally released first album. Not like he afectionately got it from the public. No discredit for this bright young singer!!

But we should admit that he can be involved in accident or for that matter he can commit a crime. He is just a human being. Or are you telling us" All animals are equal but some are more Equal than others!!"

Given the current government, if teddy afro was framed, I doubt it he will walking free after a court hearing. Whom do you think the are afried off, if they think he deemed to be smeared and punished.

Sort out this contradiction from your links in EPRDF.

Anonymous said...

People we all love Teddy afro work and some people love the fact he stood up to the government, but the bottom line at this point is there is a human (ethiopian) life lost. So don’t let your political views skew your honest judgment.

Anonymous said...

There could be a mistake done by Teddy. He is , afterall , a human being. Please , lets not interpret all things in relation to TPLF thing. He could have done it.

Anonymous said...

Cool Z: offcourse it was a setup.

Hit'n'Run was the case that woyae gave me
But woyane would never neutrlize me
I slapped woyane with my lyrics
They try to retaliate with a quick fix
with no evidence at hand
and the case got postphoned

Go Zeritu...
Tedy Tedy Tedy Tedy cann't you see,
sometimes your word just hypnothize me
(X3)

Ya- say what say what
Woyane can do the Heluf
the usual woof woof
but don't try to do the Alamudin
Using the birr to hold me down
try to do the kalitie on me
My fan base will back me

Zeritu.....
Teddy Teddy Teddy can't you see
Sometimes your word just hypnotize me
(X3)

That is right
they call me Salesawi Teddy
With woyane I would never get Jiggy
cause they don't know how to get Jiggy
But they sure are iffy and icky

zeritu ....
Teddy Teddy Teddy Salesawi
sometimes your word just hypnotize me....
(x3)

Woyane better recognize
They better choose a puppet to demoralize
Thoshe who have they owned
Ones who has been stigmatized
Since the past decade
look at woyane's hustle
to minimize the struggle
but only to rekindle the struggle
oh what a repeated failure

Zeritu..

Teddy Teddy Teddy can't you see
sometimes your word just hypnotize me
(x3)

When I slapped the judge with my 50 gees
I sure wished the system my best regards
despite their wish to send me to abyss
So what is next for woyanes ??
I guess they are paying attention to the middle grounders
Trying to get them into politics

Zeritu.....

Teddy Teddy Teddy can't you see
sometimes your words just hypnotize me
(X3)

What is next mimi and co ?
How low can you go ?
As simple as your name,
you should stick with the go-go
or pay people to listen your radio
Aybelando Aybelando Aybelando
would be the next joke on you bastardo

Zeritu....

Teddy Teddy Teddy can't you see
sometimes your word just hypnotize me
(x3)

Anonymous said...

People you know what un like many of you I do not have any sympathy for teddy afro nor do I support the government. Teddy afro should not have gone to Ethiopia unless he is trying to die for the struggle...hmmmmmmmmm to give power to who ________?

Anonymous said...

let me guess CUD?

Anonymous said...

Mengistu Haile Mariam

Anonymous said...

i know Teddy in his music not personally.from the lyrics it seems he is mindful.dont forget fame could spoils many.i thought Teddy is foolish when i heard he will get back to Addis. i think he doesn't know the behavior of EPRDF.
so i am not surprised by the news in one way or the other they will punish him.
Moti

Anonymous said...

When one drives under the influence of alchol it is highly likely that an accident will occur. It's no brainer to figure this out. So let's just wait and see what Teddy himself will have to say about all this. We got nothing directly from him so far.

Anonymous said...

Sad story: Teddy’s negligent driving has led to his arrest over charges of murder. For details, follow this link: http://www.meetalamoudi.com/2008/04/teddy-afro-arrested-on-charges-of-murder/

Anonymous said...

Teddy is a great artist and a man who loves his country and people.
I am however having a difficult time placing two very peculiar incidents on the same night. If I were the one who hit a pedestrian and decided to run, the most obvious thing I would do is find a explanation for the dent on my vehicle. I am not saying Teddy did it but people are capable of anything.