MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – The Somali Council of Ministers is expected to dismiss key judicial and audit officials, including Attorney General Sulayman Mohamoud, Banadir Regional Court Judge Salah Ali Mohamud, and Auditor General Ahmed Isse Gutale, and the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal, sources close to Villa Somalia have told Kaab TV News.
The shake-up comes amid an escalating internal power struggle over an alleged multi-million-dollar extortion scheme that has pitted Auditor General Ahmed Isse Gutale against other top officials.
The dispute, which has played out in dramatic fashion, led the Banadir Regional Court to summon Gutale earlier this year—a summons he refused to acknowledge.
The Network of Corruption and Abuse
Judge Salah Ali Mohamud (also known as Salah Daban) has been accused of sexually abusing vulnerable women, while Attorney General Sulayman Mohamoud has been implicated in serious corruption, abuse of power, and past threats against journalists.
Ahmed Gutale, a former journalist dismissed by BBC Media Action in 2010 for incompetence, was appointed Somalia’s Auditor General in February 2023 by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud—reportedly as a reward for his role in pro-government propaganda via Radio Mustaqbal during the 2021 Mogadishu unrest and the 2022 presidential election.
The scandal unraveled as Gutale allegedly demanded a 5% bribe on all transactions at the Central Bank of Somalia, clashing with Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh and Accountant General Abdirahman Mohamed Anas—exposing deep-seated corruption within the administration.
According to sources, the Council of Ministers has already begun reviewing candidates’ credentials in preparation for its upcoming Thursday weekly meeting, where the new appointments are expected to be finalized.
Avv. Mohamed Hussein Hamud, former head of the expanded Anti-Corruption Commission, is expected to take over the role of the Attorney General.
Mohamed Osman Barri, a former judge, is likely to be appointed as the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal.
Abdikhadar Mohamed Hassan, described by sources as one of the most controversial figures, is expected to assume the position of Auditor General.
Burhan Mohamed Ali, currently serving at the Appeals Court, is set to be promoted Chief Judge of the Banadir Regional Court.
A Deepening Corruption Crisis
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is facing one of the most difficult political crises of his tenure, as his close allies engage in an internal power struggle over proceeds from illicit financial activities.
Among the most controversial sources of illicit funds is a fraudulent land auction, where millions of dollars are believed to have been siphoned.
Government sources claim the scheme involved the president himself, his family, and key political allies.
Additionally, high-ranking officials allegedly extorted suspected terrorist financiers, demanding a 20% “fee” to unfreeze their frozen bank accounts.
None of the money collected was deposited into the government treasury, raising further concerns about institutionalized corruption.
Multiple government insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, have pointed to Premier Bank in Mogadishu as a central player in these corrupt dealings, acting as a conduit for laundering illicit proceeds.