Somalia: Senior officials in court over corruption

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Prosecutors in Somalia have dragged four senior government officials to court over corruption charges, with several others set to be arraigned, even as the country grapples with touch economic situations triggered by climate change, graft, and maladministration.

At Banadir Economic Crimes court, four officials were presented for trial, with the judge mentioning cases. Recently, the Attorney General lamented that a number of suspects had taken advantage of security lapses in the country to flee, but mechanisms have been put in place to have them subjected to trial.

Among those facing graft charges include Abdullahi Mohamud Osoble, Director of Immigration at the Department of Immigration and Naturalisation, and Omar Maallin Noor, Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs at the Immigration and Naturalisation Department.

Others are Sabir Hassan Abdinur, the head of Visa Extension and Verification in the Foreign Division of Immigration and Naturalisation, and Adan Mohamed Abdi, director of the visa issuance in the Immigration and Naturalisation. The Department of Immigration has been used as a corruption conduit for decades.

The four, documents produced in court show that, are accused of graft, abuse of power, and misappropriation of public funds. When he took over power a few months ago, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had pledged to fight corruption in government, adding that such actions would be strictly anchored in the law.

Somalia is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world with the absence of many civilian courts hampering delivery of fair justice to all. The government has been in contact with international partners as it seeks support for revamping of judicial system which has been grounded for decades.

At some point, international partners reduced funding of various programmes including payment of security forces after it emerged that most public officials were misappropriating funds. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of officials also tried to divert funds for personal use.

GAROWE ONLINE