The Network of Corruption and Abuse

Let’s delve deeper. Judge Salah Ali Mohamud, whose peers often refer to him as Salah Daban, faces severe accusations of exploiting his position for sexual misconduct with vulnerable women. The story doesn’t end there. Attorney General Sulayman Mohamoud’s name is swirling amidst charges of corruption, flagrant power misuse, and even intimidation of journalists. The judiciary’s moral fabric, once believed to be indomitable, now appears frayed.

Ahmed Gutale, another controversial figure once let go by BBC Media Action for incompetence in 2010, now stands as the Auditor General, a position handed to him in February 2023 by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Was it his loyalty? His role in pro-government narratives during the tense periods of 2021 Mogadishu upheaval and the 2022 elections, perhaps? It seems loyalty does come with its rewards.

A Scandal Unfurling

Boiling beneath the surface, Ahmed Gutale reportedly demanded a kickback of 5% on all Central Bank transactions. This audacious demand irked Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh and Accountant General Abdirahman Mohamed Anas, revealing the pervasive murk of corruption seeping through the corridors of power. Picture this: Men in dark suits, whispering deals in shadowy corners, deciding the country’s financial fate.

Presidential insiders suggest the Council of Ministers is hard at work, scrutinizing potential candidates’ credentials ahead of this week’s meeting. Avv. Mohamed Hussein Hamud, with his track record as head of the expanded Anti-Corruption Commission, is reportedly poised to step into the role of Attorney General.

Meanwhile, names such as Mohamed Osman Barri and Abdikhadar Mohamed Hassan, figures of controversy and intrigue, are touted for senior judicial appointments. Could this new blood, despite its flaws, pave the way for redemption?

A Deepening Crisis

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud finds himself standing at the precipice of perhaps his political career’s most testing tempest. A clandestine power struggle among his confidants, fueled by the allure of illicit wealth, threatens to topple the integrity of his administration. Is this just another chapter in the age-old story of power and its inevitable abuses?

The nefarious roots of corruption delve deep, with whispers of fraudulent land auctions funneling millions into shadowy pockets. Imagine an auction where the stakes are lands and the bids whispered promises.

Allegations soar higher, implicating high-echelon officials in extortion schemes, audaciously demanding steep bribes to unfreeze assets of suspected terror financiers. Where does this cesspool of corruption drain into? Many point fingers at Premier Bank in Mogadishu, allegedly a linchpin in laundering these ill-gotten gains.

The Banadir Regional Court has summoned the Auditor General of Somalia, Ahmed Isse Gutale, and accused him of charges, including obstructing court decisions and corruption. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/NInjTYCmqR— Horn Observer (@hornobserver) February 17, 2025