The Somali government is currently embroiled in a financial scandal involving corruption and the misappropriation of the country’s resources.
Several business cartels claiming to have ties to President Somali Federal Republic, Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, and his family have been purchasing numerous properties in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya, with an estimated value of 11 million dollars.
This group’s activities have caught the attention of the Kenyan government and the FBI, specifically the branches investigating illegal money laundering with no paper trail.
One individual, Liban Ahmed Hassan, also known as Liban Shuluq, who has limited formal education but is closely associated with President Mohamoud, has been identified as spearheading the property acquisition campaign in Kenya.
The issue has sparked a debate among Somali businesspeople, as it appears that a person with little financial means has suddenly amassed significant wealth in a short period.
Some questioning how someone who had “nothing just nine months ago could now own 13 apartments, businesses, and two hectares of land outside cities of Nairobi and Mombasa”.
President Mohamoud authorized Liban Shuluq and Omar Shido to export Khat from Kenya to Somalia for sale, which gives them a total monopoly of Kat export.
The profits from Khat sales and additional levies on traders are divided Into three parts. One portion goes to President Mohamoud, which is estimated to be in the millions of USD per month, while former Prime Minister of Somalia Mohamed Hussein Roble, Liban Shuluq, and Omar Shido share the second portion.
The third part is taken by Abdi Nasir Mohamed, known as “Abdi Nasir Ali Adoon”, who is under US Treasury sanctions and is close to President Mohamoud.
In an interrogation with Kenya’s Intelligence, Financial Crime Unit, Liban Shuluq revealed that some of the money he used to buy assets in Kenya belongs to the President of Somalia.
To gain the trust of the Kenyan intelligence agency, Liban claimed he could get President Mohamoud on the phone immediately.
The Kenyan intelligence agency was surprised by his assertion and allowed him to place a phone call to President Mohamoud without informing him that the microphone was active.
When Liban made the call, the President answered immediately, and the two men discussed Kat-related issues while the phone was left open.
This event has led to a suspicion that the President of Somalia is directly involved in the Khat business trade.
Furthermore, Liban Shuluq and PM Roble are collecting the proceeds from the sale of Khat, including the Khat taxes, while small traders, mainly Somali women are facing financial uncertainties due to higher inflation in the country.
Source: hornsentinel
