VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAE #0625/01 2010726
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 200726Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8961
INFO RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4707
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 1286

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