Ethiopia charges 32 with plot to topple government

Addis Ababa, 9 June-(ANA)-Ethiopia has charged 32 people with planning to kill government officials and blow up public utilities to provoke street protests and bring down the government, relatives of the accused said.

"They appeared in court today and were officially charged," a relative, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters. "Next Monday they will appear again to discuss bail."

The government says the accused, arrested more a month ago, are mostly former and serving military officers from a "terror network" formed by Berhanu Nega, an opposition leader who teaches economics at a university in the United States.

Berhanu has called the accusations "baseless".(ANA)

FA/ANA/09 June 2009---