Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia has arrested 27 people over suspected corruption since President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro assumed office, Auditor General Muse Yusuf Idigaa said Wednesday, as the government faces renewed demands for greater financial transparency.
Idigaa said President Irro authorized the investigations, which examined government institutions and the way they handled public funds.
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He said his office had finalized its annual audit report and submitted it to the House of Representatives, while also releasing the findings to the media.
“The audit accounts are transparent, and the public has the right to know about them. They are not something to be concealed,” Idigaa said.
He called the publication of government institutions’ financial accounts an unprecedented move toward openness, noting that previous administrations had not disclosed the information in a similar way.
Idigaa said taxpayers are entitled to know how public money is collected, administered and spent.
He said the Auditor General’s Office had found weaknesses across government institutions, sought explanations from those responsible and proposed steps to correct the problems.
The release of the financial accounts has nevertheless faced resistance from some officials, including the governor of Maroodi Jeex region.
Idigaa said certain officials objected to publishing the findings and advised that the financial information remain confidential, amid concerns that disclosure could bring greater scrutiny of government spending.
The opposition Kaah Party has separately accused Irro’s administration of extensive corruption and called for investigations and accountability in the handling of public funds.
The party has pressed authorities to determine how government resources are being used and to hold accountable any officials found responsible for financial misconduct.
The auditor general did not disclose the names of the 27 people arrested, identify the institutions under investigation or say whether formal charges had been brought.
The arrests and release of the audit report come as debate intensifies in North Western State of Somalia over transparency, financial oversight and accountability across government institutions.
