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.

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However, the credibility of the court itself is under scrutiny, as its officials have been implicated in widespread corruption, money laundering, and even sexual abuse against vulnerable women seeking justice.

Ahmed Isse Gutale, a former journalist whose contract with BBC Media Action was terminated in 2010 due to incompetence, has served as Somalia’s Auditor General since February 2023.

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His appointment by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was reportedly a reward for Gutale’s role in a propaganda campaign through Radio Mustaqbal in favor of Mohamud during the 2021 Mogadishu street violence and the subsequent presidential election in 2022.

Radio Mustaqbal, a Mogadishu-based media outlet, is co-owned by Gutale and his cousin, Mustaf Yasin, the Director of Somalia’s National Communication Authority.

Following Gutale’s appointment, government experts and civil society groups raised concerns about his lack of experience and alleged corrupt practices.

The Corruption Scandal Unfolds

Gutale soon became embroiled in internal conflicts within the government. He allegedly demanded a 5% cut from every transaction processed through the Office of the Auditor General, leading to tensions with Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh and Accountant General Anas Abdirahman.

In November 2023, the Accountant General sought legal clarification from the Solicitor General on how to address the dispute. That same month, the Finance Minister took the unprecedented step of removing the Auditor General’s signature from all government payment requests.

Documents reveal a power struggle between Somalia Minister of Finance @BihiEgeh and Auditor General @AIGutale over who has the authority to authorize payments while the Accountant General writes to the Solicitor General to explain the matter. pic.twitter.com/lv7HnTYdBr

— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) January 13, 2024

Two senior officials—Abdale Mohamed, the Quality Control Auditor, and another audit management officer—were dismissed after raising concerns about Gutale’s conduct.

Additionally, a female employee, Hafso Abduqadir Ali, was suspended and placed under security investigation after Gutale discovered she had married the former husband of his second wife, causing a week-long controversy within the Auditor General’s office.

The $5 Million Extortion Scheme

Under the guise of combating terror financing, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his former National Intelligence Director, Mahad Salad—who is also Gutale’s cousin—reportedly orchestrated an extortion campaign targeting businesses, NGOs, and individuals.

The government allegedly froze assets and demanded payments, raising an estimated $5 million, according to affected businesspeople and civil society members.

According to sources, these funds were funneled into private accounts with the facilitation of Premier Bank, a financial institution co-owned by President Mohamud.

The extortion racket forced several business leaders to flee Somalia, shifting millions of dollars in local investment to Kenya, Dubai, and Turkey.

The crisis escalated when Gutale demanded a share of the illicit proceeds, prompting court officials to act swiftly, according to one judge who is not involved in the case.

“The five million dollars are withdrawn from various accounts. These are the money generated as extortion from businesses and individuals whose monies were frozen between 2022 to 2024,” said a court official.

On Saturday, Banadir Regional Court Judge Salah Ali Mohamud, himself implicated in corruption, issued a summons for Gutale to appear before the court within 24 hours on charges of corruption, fraud, and abuse of power.

In response, Gutale held a press conference accusing court officials—including Banadir Regional Court Chairman Salah Ali Mohamud, Appeals Court Chairman, Supreme Court Judge Bashe Yusuf, and his associate Salah Ali Dhiblawe (also known as Salah Dheere)—of massive corruption and obstructing financial audits.

“Our investigation found that from 2016 to 2025, there has been no audit report on the finances collected by the Banadir Regional Court, the Appeals Court, and district-level courts. Additionally, court officials blocked all our attempts to audit these funds,” Gutale claimed.

Two of the accused officials (pictured above), Salah Ali Mohamud and Salah Ali Dhiblawe, are close allies of President Mohamud and have previously been linked to corruption, and terror-related activities and sexual abuse allegations against minority women seeking justice in the courts.

Presidential Intervention and Uncertain Resolution

A source within Villa Somalia confirmed that President Mohamud intervened in the escalating crisis on Sunday night, instructing Gutale, Salah Ali Mohamud, and Salah Ibrahim Dhiblawe to cease further actions against each other.

The same source indicated that the $5 million at the heart of the dispute has already vanished.

With no clear resolution in sight, it remains uncertain what actions will be taken.

While the Auditor General technically falls under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister’s office, aides to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre have remained silent, unwilling to intervene in a conflict involving the president’s most powerful and corrupt allies.

Independent legal expert Abdullahi Dudaaye described the case as “unprecedented,” urging Gutale to comply with the court order.

“Gutale appears to be interfering with judicial processes and should surrender himself to the court,” Dudaaye told Universal Somali TV.

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