MOGADISHU (KAAB TV) — What began as Somalia’s determined fight against corruption within its government has unraveled into a scandal so grave it threatens the entire endeavor.
Appallingly, it has implicated the country’s Auditor General, Ahmed Isse Gutale, and the deputy government prosecutor, Farhan Hussein Mohamed, in alleged bribery and kickbacks solicitation and conflict of interest.
In a riveting courtroom scene, Sabir Hassan Abdinur, a Somali Immigration Officer stationed at Aden Adde International Airport, broke his silence to reveal a startling tale of how Ahmed Gutale and Farhan Hussein had allegedly attempted to obstruct an ongoing investigation into a foreign private company by immigration officials.
“In the midst of our investigation into SKA company, a man who has a familial relation to the Auditor General Ahmed Gutale came to me and threatened that he would use powerful government officials to stop me and the immigration officers from checking the SKA company for compliance with immigration laws,” Sabir recounted during a court hearing on August 20.
According to an immigration document reviewed by our reporter, an email communication from Sabir Hassan Abdinur to SKA on April 6 had requested the company to submit essential documents for immigration compliance. This included receipts of payments to confirm tax and work permit fee compliance for foreign employees, a prerequisite for immigration-related applications.
NISA agent masquerading as company representative
At the time, SKA, a UAE-based logistics and energy supplier company, was one of eight companies under immigration scrutiny, with work permit applications for 22 foreign employees suspended pending compliance checks.
However, just a week later, instead of SKA officers complying with immigration requirements, a local liaison of the company approached a relative of Auditor General Ahmed Gutale. Subsequently, Gutale dispatched a National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) agent, masquerading as a SKA representative, to deliver the documents demanded by immigration.
“I accepted to meet this person, who claimed to be from SKA but was, in fact, a NISA officer. When I met him at the office, he was accompanied by Moalim Mahdi and the deputy prosecutor, Farhan Hussein. I was then arrested,” Sabir dramatically revealed in court.
Deputy government prosecutor, Farhan Hussein and Banadir Police Commissioner Mahdi Omar Muumin, known as Moalim Mahdi, subsequently raided the airport immigration office and confiscated documents, including work permit applications for SKA employees, which had been put on hold. Following his arrest, Sabir was escorted to Waberi police station on Maka al-Mukarama road, where Auditor General Ahmed Gutale awaited him.
“Inside the police station, Gutale asked me one question: why are you investigating SKA and Reed [a second company under investigation]? I explained that this is part of my job as an immigration officer in charge of checking foreign work permit applications. There was no response,” Sabir further explained.
On July 6, the Attorney General released a list of 18 individuals accused of corruption, stating that only nine of them had been apprehended, while the remaining nine were still at large, with Sabir’s name included among those reported to have been detained.
It is important to note that Auditor General Ahmed Gutale, Police Commissioner Moalim Mahdi (a former Al-Shabaab defector), and National Intelligence Director (NISA), Mahad Salad all belong to the same clan.
Almost ten days after Sabir’s arbitrary detention, Ahmed Gutale wrote an email to both immigration and SKA company, abruptly terminating the compliance check on SKA. This allowed the company’s employees to obtain work permits without scrutiny.
The shocking revelation of a nexus of conflict of interests between the Auditor General’s office, the police, and the prosecution came as an unwelcome surprise to the court tasked with investigating corruption.
The court’s lawyers unearthed another extraordinary issue: Deputy prosecutor Farhan Hussein was employed as an advisor to the Ministry of Information, receiving double payments not recorded in the official payroll system. This revelation raised questions about the release of three of the five Ministry of Information officials arrested on corruption and fraud allegations, according to a June 22 statement by the public prosecutor’s office. The release of the three individuals was not publicized.
Sources within the court assert that these new revelations involving the auditor general and the deputy prosecutor have presented an insurmountable obstacle to the government’s anti-corruption efforts, plunging them into a sea of uncertainty due to the entrenched culture of impunity.
Revealed only recently, a significant revelation emerged from within the Somali auditor general’s office a week ago, shedding light on the extensive corruption plaguing this vital institution. This revelation exposes a multifaceted issue encompassing covert maneuvers, clan-based conflicts, power abuses, fraudulent practices, solicitation of bribes and kickbacks, and the manipulation of audit reports. These distressing disclosures have come to light just months after Ahmed Gutale assumed the role of Auditor General.
Both whistleblowers, Abdale Mohamed, a senior director in the communications department, and Sadaq Ahmed Abdulle, the Director of the Special Audit Department, have since been suspended for speaking out against Auditor General Ahmed Gutale, who enjoys connections and protection from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Gutale played a prominent role in Mohamud’s election media campaign in 2021 and 2022.
Commenting on the new revelations, economist and university lecturer Yahye Amir has raised concerns about the credibility of audit reports issued during Gutale’s tenure. He emphasized the critical need for top leadership to intervene and rescue this essential institution from potential collapse.
“Conflict of interest by any public official represents a grave offense, and it should not be treated lightly,” Amir underscored.
The pressing question remains: Who can hold Ahmed Gutale and Farhan Hussein accountable? Only time will tell, as personal interests, tribal loyalties, and political motivations continue to shield those with a defense to hide from justice in the country.