Sources within the ministry, who spoke to Kaab TV on condition of anonymity, revealed the stunning development.

According to insiders, Abdinasir Hussein left Somalia discreetly upon learning about the investigation conducted by the Office of the Auditor General, although he had not been placed under any form of restriction. Presently, he is believed to be residing in England.

The Attorney General’s Office, when contacted for comment, declined to disclose any specific details pertaining to the investigation. Similarly, Abdullahi Hayir Duale, the Director General of the Ministry of Information, refused to provide any statements, citing the ongoing nature of the inquiry.

The allegations of corruption emerged amidst reports of millions of dollars going missing from the Ministry of Information accounts. These funds include registration fees that were collected by the ministry using unauthorized receipt vouchers, without approval from the Accountant General. A Ministry of Finance official confirmed that no funds generated by the Ministry of Information had been deposited into the national treasury whatsoever.

Furthermore, the Office of the Auditor General has launched an investigation into the collection of fees from foreign journalists entering the country.

Sources we interviewed and documents indicate that the ministry has been charging fees ranging from $200 to $300 per person for permission granted to foreign journalists. This aspect of the investigation aims to shed light on potential irregularities in the fee collection process.

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Anonymous sources within the Ministry of Information’s Office of Human Resources have also come forward with additional allegations. They claim that over the past decade, approximately half of the ministry’s budget has not been utilized for its intended operational purposes. Instead, these funds have allegedly been diverted by senior officials while majority of the staff at the ministry were non-regular staff and were not paid.

Farah Dharar, the former Director of the state television (SNTV), echoed these concerns, emphasizing the urgent need to rectify major flaws undermining the ministry’s work. Dharar highlighted the misappropriation of funds designated for the annual subscription of SNTV’s satellite services, which includes two channels: SNTV and SNTV2 (now SNTV Daljir). The funds allocated for this purpose have allegedly been siphoned off by high-ranking officials.

Adding to the growing scandal, local media recently reported the theft of valuable equipment from the Ministry of Information’s headquarters. The stolen items include three Sonny PXW-Z150 4K XDCAM CAMRECORDER cameras and three Blackmagic Studio Camera HD cameras. These equipment donations were provided by the Finnish government through the VIKES Foundation, affiliated with the Ministry of Information. Reports suggest that the stolen equipment is being utilized at a private studio called ‘Wali Media Production’ in Mogadishu’s Waberi district. The estimated value of the stolen devices amounts to tens of thousands of dollars.

The gravity of the corruption scandal became apparent on June 22 when the Attorney General’s office announced the arrest of two officials from the Ministry of Information, along with a senior military officer. The charges against them include fraud spanning a decade-long embezzlement of public funds, and the illicit sale of fuel and FM radio transmitters dating back to 2012.

Addressing the nation at the presidential mosque on Friday, President Mohamud emphasized that while some individuals have already been apprehended, many more would be arrested in connection with the corruption scandal.

He issued a stern warning to those attempting to flee the country, stating, “Unless you are thieves, I urge those who are leaving the country to stay. If you have not stolen anything, there is no reason to run away.”

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The charges against them include decade-long fraud and embezzlement of public funds.

The revelation follows whistleblower statements made by Member of Parliament Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, who referred to Somalia as “the only country where the thief who steals public property is a hero.”

Moalimuu’s remarks shed light on a long-standing and pervasive fraud within the Ministry of Information in Mogadishu, involving the illegal collection of fees, embezzlement of resources, and the illicit sale of fuel and FM radio transmitters since 2012.

The Attorney General’s statement confirmed that the three officials were arrested for their alleged involvement in fraud and the misappropriation of public resources. Among them are two mid-level employees from the Ministry of Information and a senior security officer within the ministry.

According to insider information, the detainees are accused of clandestinely smuggling out stolen fuel from the state media.

However, one notable figure implicated in the scandal has yet to be apprehended – Deputy Minister of Information Abdirahman Yusuf Omar, also known as Al-Adaala. Al-Adaala is alleged to have masterminded in the theft and sale of radio transmitters donated by the United Nations to the Somali government, diverting them to the black market.

Since 2012, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) has provided logistical and communications support to the Somali government, including the provision of FM radio transmitters to bolster government communication and establish community radio stations in areas liberated from al-Shabaab. Shockingly, this equipment has been diverted and sold on black markets for personal gain making Al-Adaala one of the richest in the current Somalia’s government officials.

Farah Dharar, a former director of the state television, stated, “Al-Adaala and his associates in the ministry surreptitiously smuggled out this equipment and sold it. This has been going on since 2012.”

Technicians and officials currently working in the ministry have revealed that over 40 radio transmitters, each valued between USD 2,000 and USD 4,500, have been stolen and sold between October 2012 to December 2022.

According to insiders, the United Nations did not demand accountability for the equipment it provided, despite online videos surfacing that showed a three-story building owned by Al-Adaala, who previously served as the acting director general of the Ministry of Information before becoming the deputy minister in October 2020.

Under Al-Adaala’s tenure, the Ministry of Information has been collecting unauthorized fees, referred to as ‘registration fees,’ from local media organizations without the authorization of the Ministry of Finance.

The Office of the Auditor General recently ordered an investigation into the suspected forgery of receipt books used for collecting these fees. Similarly, employees at the Ministry of Labour were discovered to be using counterfeit receipt vouchers to collect unauthorized fees from foreigners seeking work permits.

In a recent statement, the Auditor General revealed that the country suffered a loss of USD 21 million between March 2018 and April 2023 due to such corruption. The statement further highlighted the involvement of high-ranking officials, government employees, and individuals closely associated with government institutions.

MP Moalimuu emphasized that corruption will persist unless powerful and greedy officials are apprehended and prosecuted for their involvement in stealing public resources.

Al-Adaala did not respond to our queries about his involvement in the alleged corruption case.

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Aweys cited widespread corruption within his ministry and mounting allegations of power abuse and human rights violations under his leadership as reasons for his decision. Three sources familiar with the matter disclosed this information to Kaab TV.

Minister Aweys, who hails from the marginalized Somali Bantu ethnic group, also expressed his dissatisfaction with the disrespect and mistreatment he faced from his deputy, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adaala. Al-Adaala, a former officer of the Islamic Courts Union, belongs to the dominant Hawiye clan, known for its armed influence.

According to a source within the minister’s office, Aweys expressed his gratitude to the president for initially appointing him to the position but emphasized that he believed enough was enough and offered his resignation. President Mohamud, however, urged the minister to be patient, suggesting that a reshuffling of the cabinet might bring about changes in the roles within the cabinet including the ministry of information.

Daud Aweys, a former journalist with the BBC and Voice of America, assumed the role of Minister of Information on August 2, 2022. However, close associates and staff members assert that he has faced constant threats and marginalization, preventing him from effectively fulfilling his responsibilities.

A staff member from the Ministry of Information stated, “He is constantly under threat and unable to carry out his duties properly. He is unaware of how the budget is being spent.” Another concerning issue raised during a briefing with foreign diplomats in November was Aweys’ lack of knowledge about the number of employees within his ministry and their respective departments, as these appointments were allegedly orchestrated by his powerful deputy.

Aweys’ offer to resign last week coincided with allegations of corruption and sexual harassment within the ministry. Farah Dharar, the former director of the national television station SNTV, revealed that when portions of the ministry’s budget was diverted for personal use.

Dharar added, “The money goes into the pockets of the Deputy Minister of Information, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adaala. Nobody questions where the money goes—not even the minister dares to inquire.”

According to the 2023 Budget Appropriation Act, the Federal Ministry of Information is allocated USD 6,217,798 for the fiscal year 2023, while it spent USD 5,326,889 in fiscal year 2022. Furthermore, thousands of dollars collected from local media institutions and advertising firms under the guise of “registration fees” never enter the Ministry of Finance’s accounts. Instead, they are received in cash by individuals within the deputy minister’s office.

The minister’s decision to offer his resignation comes at a time when the Ministry of Information is facing severe criticism. In October 2022, the ministry issued a restrictive directive banning independent media coverage of al-Shabaab-related reporting. This was followed by another order instructing journalists to label al-Shabaab as “khawarij,” meaning ‘deviant from the religion.’

The ministry’s actions were widely condemned for endangering journalists.

Subsequently, the national intelligence raided the offices of the Somali Journalists Syndicate in Mogadishu, resulting in the arrest and trial of its secretary-general, Abdalle Mumin, after the media rights group denounced the ministry’s directive. Once again, the deputy minister was implicated as the instigator of the raid and Mumin’s illegal detention and persecution.

When approached for his comment on the matters discussed in this article, Minister Aweys neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, he stated that he is unable to provide any statement on the matter at this time.

Aweys’ decision to resign comes just six months after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was lured to an event at the ministry, where he inaugurated a dubious new television station. The state minister for the presidency, Abshir Ahmed (Abshir Bukhari), claimed that the “new” TV station would be used to counter al-Shabaab’s extremist ideology. However, questions have been raised regarding the legitimacy and intentions behind the establishment of the station.

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