The Federal Police says it has got enough evidence on Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) members apprehended while working to execute terrorist acts. Police said the suspects were arrested not for their opposition party membership but because of their planned terrorist acts.

In a joint statement the Federal Police and Government Communications Affairs Office given on Monday, the 29 suspects apprehended by the Federal Police and the National Intelligence and Security Service Anti-terror Joint Task Force have taken training in neighboring countries on perpetrating terrorist attacks.

Deputy Commissioner to the Director of Central Information and Crime Intelligence with the Federal Police, Demelash Gebremichael said the suspects were apprehended with the devices they intended to carryout the terrorist acts. He said the society had significant role in informing police to bring the suspects to the law.

The Deputy Commissioner said out of the 29 suspects nine of them are members of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) and Oromo People’s Congress (OPC), both parties are members of the coalition- Medrek.

He said the suspects were arrested because of the crime plans for which they are suspected, not because of their political party membership.

Government Communications Affairs state minister, Shimelis Kemal for his part said the suspects are handled in line with the nation’s law during the arrest and afterward. He said some media’s report of the suspects as being apprehended for their political party membership is baseless.

The media should follow lawful practices and respect professional ethics while reporting cases handled by law, he urged.

ETV News