In a world where communication is increasingly dominated by impersonal emails and voicemails, have you ever wondered what it takes to deliver a message with the weight of personal presence? Recently, a delegation composed of some of Somalia’s earnest auditors and legal experts chose the path less traveled. When their calls and emails fell into an abyss of silence, they decided to hand-deliver their crucial letters. Venturing into the heart of Somalia’s Supreme Court, they sought out someone—anyone—willing to accept their documents concerning a judiciary audit. Yet, they were met with a polite yet resolute refusal. The Supreme Court official they encountered insisted he lacked the authority to accept papers from the Auditor’s Office. This deadlock propelled the situation to a new level of urgency. Hence, with determination, the issue was escalated on February 11, 2025, reaching the desks of the President, the parliamentary Speakers, and the Prime Minister.
Why such scrutiny on the judiciary, you ask? It stems from a confluence of longstanding fears about financial misconduct and legal transgressions within the courts. An audit, predating even the current ones in contention, had already laid bare a series of irregularities and outright negligence during its examination of the years 2016-2017. Those findings (Ref: XHG/HG/0202/2017) prompted urgent recommendations for reform. By 2022, a Supreme Court compliance review once again spotlighted procedural violations, underscoring the judiciary’s need for systemic correction.
Chief Justice Bashe Ahmed Yusuf, aware of the clouds gathering over his domain, personally called for a review of the Benadir Regional Appeals Court in July 2022, driven by allegations of financial malpractice (Ref: MS/KC/64/2022). This initiative cast light on the shadows within the judiciary, where mismanagement ran rampant. Fast forward to 2023, a familiar pattern emerged as several cases of corruption led to judges being suspended. On July 25, 2023, the Attorney General’s Office corroborated these findings in a formal statement (Ref: XXC/4881/2023). Further investigations in 2024 unveiled an unaccounted judicial account, discreetly harboring deposits amounting to $21,922.60 that defied explanation (Ref: XHG/HG/129/2025).
The ongoing tussle between the Auditor’s Office and the judiciary underscores a profound concern over transparency and accountability within Somalia’s legal system. Judiciary officials argue that such audits fall outside the purview of the Auditor’s mandate. Meanwhile, Guutaale, steadfast in his conviction, maintains that his office operates well within legal parameters.
This heated audit of the judiciary coincides with an unsettling issue: Somalia’s continued struggle with corruption. Ever since 2007, Somalia has found itself consistently languishing at the bottom of the Corruption Perceptions Index, a damning attestation to the nation’s deep-rooted governance failures, floundering institutions, and a pervasive inertia towards tackling corruption. Transparency International’s 2024 Index ranked Somalia a woeful 179th out of 180 nations, a melancholy nine out of 100 score that reflects a decline from prior standings.
Somalia’s battle against corruption has seen measures such as the establishment of the Office of the Auditor General in 2014 and the enactment of the Public Procurement, Concessions, and Disposal Act. Yet, these initiatives are often stymied by frail enforcement, political meddling, and an absence of accountability across government organs, most notably the judiciary.
The judiciary’s defiance has sparked renewed cries for more rigorous oversight. Voices within the government are now vociferously calling for additional steps to ensure compliance, suggesting a sea of change could be on the horizon.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring
