I WAS JAILED FOR 16 DAYS... FALSELY ACCUSED OF THEFT, SAYS HOTEL MAID —
A MAID fought back tears yesterday as she claimed she was falsely accused of stealing from Sir Mo Farah’s hotel room and jailed for 16 days.
Abebech Gadisa, 23, slept on the dirty floor of a tiny cell while police investigated the alleged theft of a designer watch, two mobile phones and about £2,600 in cash from the British Olympian’s hotel room in Ethiopia.
The alleged crime, which Sir Mo discussed at a Press conference on Wednesday, sparked a war of words with the hotel’s owner, Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie.
On Thursday Mr Gebrselassie said Sir Mo had attacked a husnobody band and wife in the hotel gym. He has also accused Sir Mo of ‘blackmail’ and ‘defaming’ his reputation and business. Sir Mo has denied all the allegations.
Mrs Gadisa, who said she desperately missed her three-yearold daughter while in the jail in Addis Ababa, called on Sir Mo, 36, to apologise to her if he believes she is innocent.
Speaking from the Yaya Village hotel, she said: ‘I didn’t take the money so I kept thinking, how could this happen to me?
‘It was very tough being in prison for 16 days and I was sick. We had to sleep on the floor and there was no shower, just a bucket.
‘And the police didn’t provide any food so I had to rely on my family and friends to visit me.
‘My parents came but they didn’t want to bring my daughter. It was a hard time and Detectives extensions was to standing applied keep Mrs up for Gadisa for two us.’ and her four colleagues in jail while they dusted Sir Mo’s room for fingerprints.
The mother of one, who earns just £50 a month, was freed on bail after being forced to pay 3,000 birr (£80) two weeks ago.
Last night Mrs Gadisa spoke of her shock at being confronted by police officers on the evening of March 23, the day of the alleged theft.
She said: ‘I knew I was innocent so I told them I’ve never been involved in anything like this.’ She added: ‘I feel really bad time when in jail I and think the about fact that my this happened without any evidence. I’m innocent. ‘If I meet Sir Mo again, I will say: “I cleaned your room for a long time, did you miss anything then?” If he thinks I’m innocent, he should apologise.’ Other staff at the hotel on the outskirts of Addis Ababa also believe they are due an apology from the British four- time Olympic gold medal winner. Sir Mo allegedly left the hotel without paying a 81,345.05 birr (£2,180) bill after the dispute and did not abide by its rules. Melkamu Mekonnen, the hotel’s director of hospitality, said: ‘He was having ten to 15 people using his room. But we don’t allow that. He even let them use the key.
‘When we reminded him of the policy he said: “I’m a VIP so you don’t need to tell me.” He was irritated and angry that we asked him to stop inviting people into his room. We told the police about the comings and goings after the theft.’
Alazar Mada, the hotel’s marketing manager, also claimed Sir Mo threatened him after the alleged theft.
Mr Mada said: ‘ Sir Mo said: “Pay for the lost items or I’ll post about the incident on Instagram. I’ve got millions of followers so your market will be highly affected by my post. I will do something if you don’t do something.” ’
Last month Sir Mo posted a video online of his damaged suitcase, accusing staff of being ‘dismissive’ after the alleged theft, which he reported to police.
Sir Mo allegedly upset staff in the hotel gym by claiming they were copying a particular training technique of his – a squat while holding weights.
Fitness instructor Kennedy Girma told how he lashed out at two athletes, married couple Sisay Tsegaye and Dagmawit Kibiru, over the move he said he created in the UK.
Mr Girma said: ‘ He kicked Sisay. Nothing prompted it. He punched him in the neck.’
Sir Mo’s spokesman said on Thursday: ‘There was an incident at the gym... but it was categorically not of Mo’s making.’
Last night Sir Mo’s lawyers in Ethiopia, Warkaye Belay and Solomon Gebregziabher, said they were seeking 323,000 birr (£ 8,600) from the hotel in compensation.
‘This is both for the cash stolen and for the $8,000 Tag Heuer watch that Mo’s wife gave to him as a gift,’ they said.
A spokesman for Sir Mo declined to comment last night.
‘We had to sleep on the floor’