Revealed: Officials at Ministry of Information implicated in fraud, embezzlement of public funds

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Revealed: Officials at Ministry of Information implicated in fraud, embezzlement of public funds

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – The Office of the Attorney General of Somalia announced on 22 June that it has filed a case against two officials from the Ministry of Information and a senior military officer at the Banadir Regional Court.

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Abdirahman Al-Adaala implicated in a serious graft case is serving as deputy minister of information for President Hassan Sheikh's government.

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – The Office of the Attorney General of Somalia announced on 22 June that it has filed a case against two officials from the Ministry of Information and a senior military officer at the Banadir Regional Court.

The charges against them include decade-long fraud and embezzlement of public funds.

The revelation follows whistleblower statements made by Member of Parliament Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, who referred to Somalia as "the only country where the thief who steals public property is a hero.”

Moalimuu’s remarks shed light on a long-standing and pervasive fraud within the Ministry of Information in Mogadishu, involving the illegal collection of fees, embezzlement of resources, and the illicit sale of fuel and FM radio transmitters since 2012.

The Attorney General’s statement confirmed that the three officials were arrested for their alleged involvement in fraud and the misappropriation of public resources. Among them are two mid-level employees from the Ministry of Information and a senior security officer within the ministry.

According to insider information, the detainees are accused of clandestinely smuggling out stolen fuel from the state media.

However, one notable figure implicated in the scandal has yet to be apprehended – Deputy Minister of Information Abdirahman Yusuf Omar, also known as Al-Adaala. Al-Adaala is alleged to have masterminded in the theft and sale of radio transmitters donated by the United Nations to the Somali government, diverting them to the black market.

Since 2012, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) has provided logistical and communications support to the Somali government, including the provision of FM radio transmitters to bolster government communication and establish community radio stations in areas liberated from al-Shabaab. Shockingly, this equipment has been diverted and sold on black markets for personal gain making Al-Adaala one of the richest in the current Somalia’s government officials.

Farah Dharar, a former director of the state television, stated, "Al-Adaala and his associates in the ministry surreptitiously smuggled out this equipment and sold it. This has been going on since 2012.”

Technicians and officials currently working in the ministry have revealed that over 40 radio transmitters, each valued between USD 2,000 and USD 4,500, have been stolen and sold between October 2012 to December 2022.

According to insiders, the United Nations did not demand accountability for the equipment it provided, despite online videos surfacing that showed a three-story building owned by Al-Adaala, who previously served as the acting director general of the Ministry of Information before becoming the deputy minister in October 2020.

Under Al-Adaala’s tenure, the Ministry of Information has been collecting unauthorized fees, referred to as ‘registration fees,’ from local media organizations without the authorization of the Ministry of Finance.

The Office of the Auditor General recently ordered an investigation into the suspected forgery of receipt books used for collecting these fees. Similarly, employees at the Ministry of Labour were discovered to be using counterfeit receipt vouchers to collect unauthorized fees from foreigners seeking work permits.

In a recent statement, the Auditor General revealed that the country suffered a loss of USD 21 million between March 2018 and April 2023 due to such corruption. The statement further highlighted the involvement of high-ranking officials, government employees, and individuals closely associated with government institutions.

MP Moalimuu emphasized that corruption will persist unless powerful and greedy officials are apprehended and prosecuted for their involvement in stealing public resources.

Al-Adaala did not respond to our queries about his involvement in the alleged corruption case.