0
Prime Minister Kheyre has been aware of the graft and corruption, and despite public claims to be fighting corruption, has selectively chose not to take actions against close associates, choosing instead to safe them while using the auditor general as a tool to harass, fire and arrest oppositions and lower-level officials, as part of a distraction and intimidation strategies.
Under Prime Minster Kheyre’s and Fahad Yasin’s stewardship, corruption and cronyism have become widespread at all levels of the federal government, and is an expected form of behavior, to obtain employment and political appointments. The misuse of public goods and services and the solicitation of bribes in exchange for basic services have risen sharply, according to experts. There are reports that PM Kheyre personally uses revenue from Mogadishu Port and Airport as a slush fund to gain political influence of the members of parliament and clan elders.
Among the officials linked to extortion, money laundering, graft and corruption are Fahad Yasin,the Deputy Chief of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Gamal Mohamed Hassan, the Minister of Planning, Khadijo Mohamed Diriye, the Minister of Youth and Sports, and Abdirahman Dahir Osman, the former Minister of Education.
Fahad Yasin, the Deputy Director of NISA and the former Chief of Staff of Villa Somalia is a target of international criminal investigations by western and regional governments looking into allegations of money laundering, terrorism financing, graft, and public corruption, according to people familiar with the matter. According to sources, while under surveillance, Fahad often transferred millions of dollars from Qatari sources linked to terrorism financing to shell accounts in Nairobi, Doha and Istanbul and then forwarded the funds to accounts linked to individuals associated with extremists. Investigators have documented cases were individuals based out of Kenya, Qatar and Turkey accused of illicit finance transferred funds to Fahad. All the individuals linked to the transactions were under sanctions for links and financing extremist groups in Somalia, Kenya, Iraq, and Syria.
In one case, investigators suspect approximately $3 million were wired to NISA’s accounts and delivered to extremist financiers in Mogadishu, according to sources. In addition, Fahad who is been investigated by Kenya for fraudulently obtaining Kenyan passports with different names and birth dates transferred approximately $2 million from illicit Qatari sources that were stashed in Nairobi to the bank accounts of his wife and family members. Reports suggest Fahad is moving his family currently in Kenya to Qatar and Turkey, recently purchasing homes in Doha and Istanbul.
There are also reports alleging that Fahad is currently recruiting a relative and a close associate named Munir Ahmed, who is accused of fraud and money laundering in Kenya, to lead Somalia’s Central Bank
Gamal Mohamed Hassan, the Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development is facing serious allegation of corruption and graft, involving extortion, pay to play and illegal kickbacks, according to sources. The minister has allegedly used his office to enrich himself, receiving millions of dollars of illegal kickbacks from local development contractors, Non-government Organizations (NGOs) and foreign companies.
Minister Gamal who is not a member of parliament in response to PM Kheyre’s call to convert all of the cabinet members to parliamentarians, as a strategy to secure his administration completes its four year term, and to have an immunity, has recently negotiated purchase of a parliament seat from a member of his Warsangeli sub tribe for $300,000 dollars according to people familiar with the matter.
Minister Gamal allegedly extorted money and a vehicle from local Mogadishu businessman who has contracts with the ministry of planning, giving the businessman a choice between losing international development contracts or pay the amount. The businessman paid the first instalment of $100,000 to the Member of Parliament and delivered the vehicle to the minister.
According to reports, Minister Gamal struck a deal with Dhahar Ali Farah, to resign from his parliament seat and promised him a counselor position at the Somalia’s embassy in Djibouti. Mr. Dhahar has received pledges from Prime Minister Kheyre including $10,000 per month payment diplomatic salary.
In addition, Minister Gamal has been involved in a contract-steering scheme, rewarding corrupt politicians allied with PM Kheyre, friends and business associates with international development money instead of seeking most qualified and cost-effect bidders. The minister and his associates allegedly misused funds from Qatar and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the regions, laundered millions of dollars to personal accounts linked to PM Kheyre and Fahad Yasin for use against Federal Member States, according to people familiar with the matter. Federal Member States allege that the Ministry of Planning has become a political tool and weapon PM Kheyre and Fahad Yasin’s use to undermine Somali regional governments.
Since taking charge, Minister Gamal and his cronies skimmed millions of dollars from development funds, leaving the regions with no funds for development and economic assistance support, leading to increase political and security challenges that is now internally paralyzing relations between the federal government and federal member states.
Enter Khadijo Diriye, the Minister of Youth and Sport is Prime Minister Kheyre’s closest friend and adviser. A member of parliament, she has been his enforcer and biggest advocate inside the parliament. As a result, Minister Khadijo has gotten away with misusing public funds for personal gains. She has been using the ministry resources to finance her lavish lifestyle. She has also been accused of extorting NGO’s and local businesses development funds designed to reduce youth unemployment and counter Al Shabaab appeal.
On the other hand Abdirahman Osman, the former Minister of Education was a close friend and associate of Prime Minister Kheyre for many decades in Somalia and Norway. Minister Abdirahman was dismissed in late July after he was accused of extorting universities and claimed the ministry did not recognize public and private universities. According to sources, Minister Abdirahman was also accused of selling public schools in Mogadishu to private developers. He was fired after community leaders and civic societies complain against the minister escalated to the international community.
In conclusion, Somalia is considered among the most corrupt countries, a factor contributing to the poor security, the stunted development and impoverishment of the state. The Parliament, of the Upper and Lower house, should no longer ignore the graft and corruption in the country by the executive branch. These officials are damaging the work of repairing the country, and the progress of building peaceful and prosper Somalia.
Ahmed Ibrahim, Ph.D.
Email:[email protected]
But Al-Shabaab derives the bulk of its funding for its operations from taxing business people and most lucrative companies in Mogadishu and control of most businesses in rural Somalia. 51 -Over the years, the terrorist group has established a well-structured and oiled taxation infrastructure supported by courts, road tolls, and loyal revenue payers. At the edge of the knife, the group's operatives demands that all business people and companies pay tax to its agents. Full Article
Al-Shabaab is more than just a terrorist group. In 2011, its annual revenue was in the region of $70–100 million per year. In 2018, the President of the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) confirmed that Al-Shabaab collected an estimated $20 million dollars from South Somalia alone. Full Article
The Chairman of Hormuud Telecom Group Ahmed Nur Ali Jim'ale was a kingpin in Al-Shabaab's charcoal-sugar trading cycle that funded its activities. In September 2010, he founded ZAAD, a mobile-to-mobile money-transfer business that struck a deal with Al-Shabaab to make money transfers more anonymous by eliminating the need to show identification. Full Article
Somalia: List of former Hormuud Telecom staff members who joined the terrorists. 1- Former Al Shabab leader Ahmed Godane was a member of Al-Barakaat group in Hargeisa. 2- Head of Amniyat branch of Al Shabab Mahad Karate was part of Al Barakat group in Mogadishu. Full Article
UN Report says Al Shabab militants run tax system to rival Somalia's federal government Via Hormuud Telecom. Full Article
The annual U.N. General Assembly is an orgy of symbolism. Who meets whom on the sidelines? Who tried but failed to secure a meeting with the U.S. president? Who walks out of whose speech? Whom do security officers intercept when they try to exceed the permissions of their visa? Full Article
Rep. Ilhan Omar has publicly declared her support for a notorious organization known for its terrorist leadership and financing of terrorism. But it almost went unnoticed, until the tweet was brought to my attention. On the 26th of August, Rep. Ilhan Omar made the following tweet: Full Article
Responding to reports that Somalia's education minister has announced that social media may be shut down for five days from 27 to 31 May as one of the ways to stop cheating in the national secondary school exams, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes Seif Magango said: Full Article
The UN Development Programme has blacklisted 18 Somali individuals and organisations from conducting any business with the UN agency over what it termed as their 'engagement in proscribed practices'. Full Article
Waagacusub.com - Huge explosions have rocket the Somali capital. They became incontrollable, as they occur at least twice, while targeting government officials and their offices. Al Shabab terrorists seem to be recapturing the control of Mogadishu after the government troops and police vacated their bases in the front lines in lower and middle Shabelle regions. Full Article
Hormuud's Assault on African Peacekeepers Figure 14: African Peace Keepers Hormuud launched a scorching public campaign against the Kenyan military forces in AMISOM in late August 2019.
But Al-Shabaab derives the bulk of its funding for its operations from taxing business people and most lucrative companies in Mogadishu and control of most businesses in rural Somalia. 51 -Over the years, the terrorist group has established a well-structured and oiled taxation infrastructure supported by courts, road tolls, and loyal revenue payers. At the edge of the knife, the group's operatives demands that all business people and companies pay tax to its agents.
Al-Shabaab is more than just a terrorist group. In 2011, its annual revenue was in the region of $70–100 million per year. In 2018, the President of the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) confirmed that Al-Shabaab collected an estimated $20 million dollars from South Somalia alone.
"Hormuud pays an estimated $200,000 every month to the Al-Shabaab", said a former head of Amniyat and now a top official of Somali government intelligence agency tracking Al-Shabaab movements.
The Chairman of Hormuud Telecom Group Ahmed Nur Ali Jim'ale was a kingpin in Al-Shabaab's charcoal-sugar trading cycle that funded its activities. In September 2010, he founded ZAAD, a mobile-to-mobile money-transfer business that struck a deal with Al-Shabaab to make money transfers more anonymous by eliminating the need to show identification.
Hormuud's Assault on African Peacekeepers Figure 14: African Peace Keepers Hormuud launched a scorching public campaign against the Kenyan military forces in AMISOM in late August 2019. Full Article
But Al-Shabaab derives the bulk of its funding for its operations from taxing business people and most lucrative companies in Mogadishu and control of most businesses in rural Somalia. 51 -Over the years, the terrorist group has established a well-structured and oiled taxation infrastructure supported by courts, road tolls, and loyal revenue payers. At the edge of the knife, the group's operatives demands that all business people and companies pay tax to its agents. Full Article
Al-Shabaab is more than just a terrorist group. In 2011, its annual revenue was in the region of $70–100 million per year. In 2018, the President of the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) confirmed that Al-Shabaab collected an estimated $20 million dollars from South Somalia alone. Full Article
"Hormuud pays an estimated $200,000 every month to the Al-Shabaab", said a former head of Amniyat and now a top official of Somali government intelligence agency tracking Al-Shabaab movements. Full Article
The Chairman of Hormuud Telecom Group Ahmed Nur Ali Jim'ale was a kingpin in Al-Shabaab's charcoal-sugar trading cycle that funded its activities. In September 2010, he founded ZAAD, a mobile-to-mobile money-transfer business that struck a deal with Al-Shabaab to make money transfers more anonymous by eliminating the need to show identification. Full Article
Hormuud's Assault on African Peacekeepers Figure 14: African Peace Keepers Hormuud launched a scorching public campaign against the Kenyan military forces in AMISOM in late August 2019. Full Article
Former Intel official stripped from NISA membership Full Article
PM KHEYRE USELESS AND COSTY OVERSEAS TRIPS. Full Article
Abiy says 'New Year' will be celebrated in Eritrea, Ethiopian Airlines to resume flights Full Article
Massive rise in Islamist militant attacks in Africa Full Article
SOMALI OFFICIALS LINKED TO MONEY LAUNDERING, AND PUBLIC CORRUPTION
Waagacusub.net - Several members of Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre's cabinet and senior government officials including close associates have been linked to money laundering, graft and corruption, according to sources. Some officials have alleg