Hadush Kebatu was deported to Ethiopia and received a payment of £500 after reportedly threatening to disrupt the deportation process. The sex offender, mistakenly released from prison instead of being deported, was flown back to Ethiopia and has no right to return to the UK. The payment was reportedly a decision made by the removal team for operational reasons and not involving government officials.
The alternative to the payment would have been a more time-consuming and expensive process of detaining Kebatu further and arranging a new flight, which could have led to legal challenges. Cancelling the initial flight would have incurred significant costs. Kebatu, aged 38, was serving a 12-month jail sentence for sexual assault before his accidental release from HMP Chelmsford.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that all efforts were made to deport Kebatu, emphasizing that his removal makes the streets safer. Kebatu, an Ethiopian national, triggered a manhunt in the southeast after fleeing to London from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, where he committed the crimes.
After being arrested in Finsbury Park, Kebatu was escorted by plain-clothed officers to a police van. He had entered the UK by crossing the Channel in a small boat and left prison without a discharge grant for living expenses. Witnesses reported seeing him return to HMP Chelmsford multiple times in a confused state before being redirected to the railway station by prison staff. An investigation is ongoing regarding the handling of his release.