Former Somalia president says he returned stolen public money

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A former Somalia president has announced he returned the money he believes that was unjustifiably stolen from the government, in the latest dramatic statement that could the country's fight against corruption, which seems to be gathering momentum in the recent months, following high profile convictions.

Ali Mahdi Mohammad, 81, said in a rare interview that he returned public money he stole from the government over five decades ago while at the age of 20s, in a move that seems to be a strategy to seek for forgiveness from the members of the public.

Technically the first president of the Horn of Africa nation during the civil war told reporters in a local TV station interview in Mogadishu that his decision was influenced by a meeting with religious leaders who advised him of the money he took from the government from 1968.

“I visited the Central Bank to check how much it will be at today’s rate, the Sh25,000 I took in 1968 and I was told it is $4,045. I visited (then President) Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in 2015 and told him I was ready to bring back the stolen public funds and subsequently I deposited the cash in the Central Bank,” said the former president.

The former leader is a renowned hotel owner and businessman in Somalia and became president 1991-1997 following the ouster of Siad Barre’s regime back in 1991 by armed tribal warlords, who they fought for control.

However, Ali Mahdi ran the country largely divided along clan lines and warlords, with his loyal supporters clashing with those of Mohamed Farah Aideed, turning the capital Mogadishu into a deadly war zone.

Having quit politics in 2000, he returned to his businesses where he is now building one of the tallest hotels in Somalia's capital, at 14 floors on the Liddo beachfront. He is a renowned entrepreneur in the country. He argues the tallest complex is owned by his wife. 

While urging politicians to live within their mean, Mahdi spoke about one of his predecessors Abdullahi Yusuf, his time as president and stealing public money as a young man when he was growing up. He regretted his actions and insisted that integrity is key in any public servant who has the interest of the people.

According to him, in 1968, he stole $25,000 which was quite a valuable sum of money at that time and used it to build a home in Mogadishu. Later on, he argued, he donated the house to a charity and would also give $4,045 to the government during the former administration led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud between 2012 and 2017.

He also said that ex-President Abdullahi Yusuf and former PM Ali Mohamed Gedi gave him $2 million as part of a $32 million donations from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA] donated to facilitate a reconciliation conference, but added that he never received it in a bank account.

As one of President Mohamed Farmaajo’s critics, Ali Mahdi’s revelations may have been targeted at the incumbent, knowing well the former leader enjoys significant respect in his community, and that the country is going for a crucial electioneering period in coming months.

GAROWE ONLINE