POSSIBLE ADOPTION FRAUD INVOLVING GSE OFFICIALS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000625

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR CA/FPP, CA/OCS/ACS/CI, CA/OCS/ACS/AF

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2017
TAGS: KFRD KOCI CASC ER
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE ADOPTION FRAUD INVOLVING GSE OFFICIALS


Classified By: CDA Jennifer A. McIntyre, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: An Eritrean-American dual national,
Nigisti Teklay, met with Conoff July 13 to request assistance
with an alleged fraudulent case of adoption and in obtaining
permission from the Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE)
to depart the country. Ms. Teklay had recently returned to
Asmara with her three adopted Eritrean children and her
natural daughter to contest the legality of the children's
2005 adoption in Eritrean court. The women claims she has
been trying to nullify the adoption because she had
determined, after the adoption, that the children were
actually much older than she had been lead to believe and
that all three were not, in fact, orphans. She claims that
all are actually children of high ranking members of the
Eritrean government who committed the fraud to assist their
children in evading national service. Ms. Teklay also claims
she has been threatened by one of the adopted children's
natural fathers and told that she will not be permitted to
leave the country without taking the adopted children with
her. Post finds many inconsistencies in Ms. Teklay's story
and believes she may have been an active participant in a
adoption fraud scheme that went bad. Action request provided
in para 7. End Summary.


2. (SBU) On July 13, Eritrean-American dual national Teklay,
Nigisti Azeb (U.S. PPT # 203524012, DOB 27 APR 1960) told
Conoff that she had adopted three Eritrean children in 2005.
At the time, all three children were reportedly in their
early-to-mid teens. Conoff has reviewed the case notes
which indicate that at the time of the adoption paperwork was
presented by Ms. Teklay showing that the children were
orphans. The children were processed as IR4 (an immigrant
visa for adopted children to have the adoption finalized in
the U.S.) and given Longterm Permanent Resident (LPR) status.
Below are their full names, dates of birth, and case numbers
in CCD:

Temnewo, Sham Haile
DOB 02 June 1991
ASM2005839001

Temnewo, Yosief Haile
DOB 08 June 1995
ASM2005839002

Temnewo, Merhawi Haile
DOB 15 April 1993
ASM2005839003


3. (C) Ms. Teklay recently brought the three adopted children
and her natural daughter to Eritrea under the guise of a
vacation, but then attempted to have the adoption overturned
in Eritrean court. Among her complaints were that she was
mislead about the ages of the children, the oldest of whom
was 20 at the time of adoption and therefore ineligible. Ms.
Teklay also said she had determined after the children were
in the U.S. that they were not in fact orphans. She did not
elaborate to Conoff on how she had made these discoveries.
Ms. Teklay said that in the court case, the judge had agreed
with her claims but refused to issue a ruling to that effect,
due to the high status of the natural parents of the
children. She added that she was told by some unspecified
Eritrean official that she will not be allowed to leave the
adopted children in Eritrea, even under the care of her own
relatives. Although she offered alternatively to stay in
Eritrea with the children, she was ordered to depart Eritrea
immediately -- with the children. Ms. Teklay claims that
Eritrean national Amanuel Ligam (the man who she believes is
one of the children,s natural fathers) visited her home and
threatened her, saying that &someone will kill you8 if she
does not comply. (Note: Ms. Teklay alleges Amanuel Ligam
has an influential position in the Eritrean government,
although the consular section has not been able to verify
where he works. She claims one of the children's natural
mothers is Senait Ligam, Director General in the Ministry of
Transportation. Post does not know whether the Ligams are
married or related. Ms. Teklay was very evasive on questions
concerning the natural parents. End Note.)


4. (SBU) Ms. Teklay said the three adopted children have not
been staying with her since she arrived in Asmara, nor does
she know their whereabouts. She has kept their green cards,
so the children cannot travel without her. Conoff asked Ms.
Teklay to bring the green cards to the consular section to be
photocopied. She initially hesitated but agreed. To date,
she has not provided them.


5. (SBU) During the discussion, Ms. Teklay had trouble
remembering simple facts about the children. She could not
remember their full names, or even how to spell some of the
names she could remember. She was unsure of their dates of
birth. She said the adopted children never accepted her
family,s name, keeping instead their pre-adoption surname.
Her own natural daughter informed Conoff in a separate
conversation that the three adopted children had caused a
great deal of trouble in their home in the U.S. and that the
police had been frequently called. Although she didn,t show
them to Conoff, Ms. Teklay said she had a stack of police
reports from the U.S. which she had brought with her for
presentation to the court.


6. (C) Comment: Post believes it likely that Ms. Teklay
became involved in adoption fraud to assist the children in
immigrating to the U.S. Eritrea has a mandatory national
service requirement beginning at age 17 for both boys and
girls that involves intensive military training, and has
resulted in many children being hurt, or in some instances
killed. Many young people flee across the border to Sudan to
escape conscription. While many Eritrean parents attempt
adoption or visa fraud to assist their children in leaving
the country in order to avoid national service, this is the
first case in which post has heard of the alleged involvement
of government officials. If Ms. Teklay's facts are even
partially true, it appears quite possible that some highly
placed members of the Eritrean government convinced (or paid)
this woman to adopt their children in order to assist them in
immigrating. Now, Ms. Teklay is having second thoughts and
trying to get herself out of a sticky situation. End Comment.


7. (SBU) Action Request: Post recommends that a lookout be
entered on the subjects in this case and if necessary an
investigation conducted into revoking the status of the
adopted children. Any investigation would have to be
conducted from the U.S. due to the near impossibility of TDY
personnel obtaining visas to enter Eritrea. Post stands by
to assist as necessary with any investigation.
MCINTYRE