Ethiopian security forces have arrested the country's relief chief Mitiku Kassa over accusations of corruption, an Ethiopian official said on Wednesday.

Tadesse Ayalewe, deputy commissioner of Corruption Crimes Investigation Department at Federal Police, said Kassa who is commissioner of Ethiopia National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC), was arrested Wednesday over accusations of conspiring to commit corruption crimes with a head of a local Non-Government Organization (NGO).

Ayalewe said Kassa is accused of conspiring with the head of Elshadai Relief and Development Association (ERDA) of receiving and then selling relief food and clothes for "non-existent" displaced people across the country, but instead the funds were allegedly used to buy a house for the NDRMC commissioner, according to state media outlet Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).

The "non-existent" displaced people were located in at least four sites in four different regions of Ethiopia.

Ayalewe said the arrest of Kassa was effected after a deep investigation into the suspect's activities.

Police didn't disclose the name of the ERDA head. Police have also yet to disclose the amount of relief supplies misappropriated in the alleged corruption scheme.