Family: Minnesota man detained in Ethiopia has been freed, is on way home
MINNEAPOLIS -- An update to a story reported by WCCO this weekend: A prominent Twin Cities businessman who was detained in Ethiopia is now on his way home.
Tashitta Tuffa is President and CEO of Metropolitan Transportation Network, based in Fridley.
Tufaa's family says he spent the last two weeks of 2022 in Ethiopia and was preparing to board a return flight to America when he was detained at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.
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Now, according to his son, he's been freed and is now on the first leg of his journey home. He's expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon.
WCCO's Esme Murphy reports that Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Dean Phillips were involved over the holiday weekend in working to free Tufaa.
Breaking : prominent Twin Cities businessman Tashitaa Tufaa who had been arrested in Ethiopia has been freed and is on the first leg of his journey home according to his son . Both @SenAmyKlobuchar & @RepDeanPhillips were involved over the holiday weekend in working to free him.
— esme murphy (@esmemurphy) January 2, 2023
"After my office worked with State Department officials, I'm relieved to see that Tashitaa Tufaa has been released from detainment and is on his way back to the United States. I am eager for him to be reunited with his family here in Minnesota," Klobuchar said in a statement.
Ethiopia is currently designated as a level 3 or "reconsider travel" advisory by the U.S. State Department.