Leaders of Somalia behind bars for sending two million dollars to a Hungarian bank account

A local court gave twelve top officials of the country’s Ministry of Health prison sentences because of corruption. The ministry spent 20 million dollars on COVID-19 protective equipment and tests, during which they transferred 2 million dollars to the Hungarian bank account of a Swiss consulting company. 

Attorney General Seleban Mohamed Mohamud said they were pursuing more cases, and not just in the Ministry of Health, busiweek.com reported. Current investigations concern directors within the ministry, heads of departments, project coordinators, consultants, but they were later extended to staff from private firms working with the institution.

According to the news website, “morale is at its lowest within the ministry in what top medics term as nepotism in employment and promotion,

employment of unqualified staff, and harassment and sacking of whistleblowers.”

As a result, many doctors terminated their contracts with the ministry and want minister Fowziyo Nur Abikar to take responsibility for the widespread corruption in the Ministry.

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The reason for the current public outcry was a 20-million-dollar expenditure on coronavirus protective equipment and test kits. “There have been allegations the awarding of a contract to a Hungary-based firm did not go through due process and the government may have lost the money through the phoney deal,” the website says. The beneficiary firm, Drax Consult, was founded only two months ago, and it seems that the transaction involving it

lacked the legal consent of Somalia’s procurement registration authority.

The company received 2 million dollars, but Hungarian authorities flagged it as suspicious already in March 2020.

As a result, police arrested the Director-General of the ministry to show that the government is committed to fighting against all forms of corruption. Finally, he was charged in court and sentenced to nine years in prison with a $2,366 fine. Furthermore, Mohamud Bule Mohamud, director of administration and the finance department, received 18 years in jail. Meanwhile, Mahdi Abshir, the head of accounting, was given 12 years in prison, just like Bashir Abdi, the head of Malaria and HIV/AIDs.

However, medics would like minister Fowziyo Nur Abikar to leave her position because they state that she is the reason corruption is present in the ministry.

“Her stark favouritism in appointments has seen the ministry populated with members of one family

while the qualified people are either kicked out or not considered when opportunities arise,” busiweek.com says. Moreover, the minister blocked investigations, including non-compliance with procurement procedures, recruitment, staff training, promotions and fines, monitoring and evaluation, and failure to take anti-corruption measures.

Featured image: illustration

Source: busiweek.com