Somali politician calls for probe into central bank scam

Hiiraan Online
Sunday, August 28, 2016

Somali Centeral Bank, - Mogadishu, Somalia

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MOGADISHU (HOL) – A Somali presidential candidate has called for an independent probe into the theft of $530,000 by a teller at the country’s central bank, suggesting an amount higher than announced by officials was stolen.

Somalia’s central bank governor Bashir Isse told reporters on Thursday that Muhyadin Mohamed Hassan, a teller at the bank made off with the money after he exchanged US dollar notes with fake bills.

“This is an issue which is posing a serious danger to our nation, and its timing is worrying,” Abdirahman Abdishakur, one of the country’s presidential candidates said on Friday

“Therefore, we are calling for an independent investigation into the exact amount of stolen from the central bank and why it coincided with the election time which is raising serious suspicion.” He said.

Somali Presidential Candidate Abdirahman Abdishakur

Mr. Abdishakur has also hinted a possible involvement by the country’s leaders into the month-long scam, embodying the former central bank governor Yusra Abrar who quitted after in 2014 only seven weeks into the job, alleging she had been pressured to accept arrangements she believed would open the door to corruption.

Ms. Abrar had since fled the country.

His remarks echoed recent allegations by other politicians that the scam was ‘systematic’ and

‘well-coordinated’, suggesting that senior officials were involved in the scam. The bank had experienced financial scandals before.

No comment could be reached from Somali government on the development.

However, the development comes two months before the horn of Africa nation holds a presidential election which is set to take place on October 30.

According to Somalia’s Provisional Federal Constitution, adopted in 2012, the mandates of the Somali Federal Parliament and of the government would come to an end in August and September 2016, respectively.

The international community which is spearheading efforts aimed at restoring peace and order into the Somalia which is recovering from decades of war mandated the current government to lead the country into general elections following the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a new parliament and the adoption of a new constitution in 201