Somalia president orders central bank governor not to release $9.6M seized from UAE

By: Sakariye Ahmed,  Horndiplomat  Correspondence

Somalia’s President Mohamed Farmaajo has instructed the head of the country’s central bank, Mr. Abdirahman, not to release the US $ 9.6 million seized from the United Arab Emirates in April 2018 after Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble promised to return the money back to the United Arab Emirates.
The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, made a statement tonight against the return of the money to the UAE government.

Farmajo, who forwarded the message to the central bank governor, said the money was smuggled into the country on April 8, 2018 and urged the central bank governor not to allow Roble’s decision to withdraw this money from the Somalia central bank.

Farmajo’s decree also states that the money could harm the country’s national security and economy if it leaves the coffers.
“It is forbidden to pay that amount for a single official decision without due process,” Farmajo said in a statement released tonight.

This comes after Somalia received 55 tons of foodstuffs and medical supplies from the UAE to help families affected by the drought.

Somalia Prime Minister Rooble thanks the UAE for the support of the Somali people and apologizes for the April 2018 incident in which the federal government of Somalia confiscated around 9.6 million US dollars from the UAE mission to Somalia.