Comments on: Watch: Shuttered travel agency leaves more victims

By: tola

tola — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:45:47 +0000

Hey, guys it is every traveler’s duty to verify the purchase of a ticket with the Airline to cover self from crooks like this guy. Believe me he may think he capitalized on this and live in ADDIS peacefully but may be for a short time because we will make him pay for his deed. I am sorry for his family but he is a kind of guy who never believes there are people who are better than him.

By: Seattle

Seattle — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:01:30 +0000

I hear he is in Addis!!!! He has opened up a business that has the space needle in the title! What a shame!

By: Dallas

Dallas — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:13:40 +0000

If he has a little bit of business ethics left in him, he could have called those who bought a plane ticket and told them that he is disappearing from the face of the earth, because….I am sure most of his customers would have forgiven him. You know how forgiving we Ethiopians are.

By: tade

tade — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:33:27 +0000

This is totally insane. This guy is criminal and scammer. I don’t understand why some people are trying to save him from the hell. By now, this guy should be in jail. Come on ppl, stop being nice for criminals. He collected money from hardworking ppl (12=hours a day) to fulfill their life and want to visit their beloved country. he should be locked up in jail for what he done.

By: tola

tola — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:50:06 +0000

Hey people why are you afraid to say a crook crooK? There is no any justification for him to run with his clients money. Let the law takes its course and he should face the consequencies.

By: Eve White

Eve White — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:48:19 +0000

Sounds like he got desperate and took off.

By: sara

sara — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:20:12 +0000

Yes, I agree sosoi. It totally don’t make sense why people are giving him a free pass for his criminal action. This sort of attitude is what allowed him to come this far in the first place. The Ethiopian community in Seattle needs to come together on this case and take a stand.

Ppl, instead of collecting donations on his behalf report, take action report this fraud to the police. For once do the right thing.

By: sosoi

sosoi — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:37:33 +0000

why are you guys giving the guy the benefit of doubt. there is no doubt. the guy canceled someone’s reservation and took the money. simple case of theft. I don’t care how long he’s been doing this.

By: Saba

Saba — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:10:35 +0000

Its very strange, because he has been in this business for long time and he was well known in the society. Its hard to accept that he just escape with few people’s money. I hope he or his family are OK. May be he is a victim by somebody else to harm him and to let people believe that he left with their money…hope truth will come out soon…

By: sara

sara — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:35:12 +0000

DJ the guy was in business for this long because of our habesha society’s acceptance and tolerance of bad business practices. I dealt with this business back in the late 90’s and stopped as soon as I experienced lies and mistreatment the first time. I know a couple of other friends who did the same, but somehow a lot of other people in the Ethiopian community in Seattle seem to think they don’t have any other options, but to go there for their tickets.

I feel sorry for all the people that were let in the cold with his scam. I know quite a few people know that lost their money. Some were already in Ethiopia, but their return tickets were invalid. I personally know a family of four who had to purchase their return tickets from Addis because of this travel agent canceled their tickets.

By: DJ

DJ — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:08:20 +0000

Given that he has been in the travel busniness for over a decade, it is absolutely possible that he may have a legit family emergency that required him to take such a risky action. I would not put judgment on him just yet. But it is till not justifiable and illegal to take peoples money and run with it. I feel sorry for those who got shorthanded, but it does not hurt to hear the guy’s story too.