Following the ruling, a preliminary inquiry was set to begin on 13 August. At the 4 August hearing for Bekele, the prosecutors told the court that they had opened a preliminary inquiry file to verify and register witness testimonies. A preliminary inquiry is a hearing before trial that is standard procedure if the crime is homicide in the first degree or aggravated robbery. The other case where it is held is if a prosecutor after receiving the police investigation decides a preliminary inquiry is necessary. Also, a preliminary inquiry is not merely opened by the investigation team, rather the investigation files are reviewed by a prosecutor, who decides if a preliminary inquiry shall be held.

Source: Ethiopian News August 15, 2020 09:22 UTC