Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Alleged Resignation Letter of Somalia’s Ex-Central Bank Chief Released



FEATURED


The alleged resignation letter of Somalia’s former Central Bank governor Yussur Abrar was published recently on the site Saadaal News.

Thought its authenticity has not been confirmed, passages of the text match excerpts previously cited in the initial Financial Times report.

Abrar’s abrupt resignation in late October 2013 was fueled by her claims that she was pressured illegally to violate her “fiduciary responsibility” and approve deals with law firm Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker that could “open the door” to further corruption.

Other questionably sourced and sensationalist pieces alleged that Abrar was threatened by key people to improperly transfer millions of dollars in assets recovered by Shulman Rogers. Implicated individuals included:

Businessman Muse Haji Mohamed Ganjab, who has been linked with Shulman Rogers
Abdiaziz Amalow, who is reportedly related to former Central Bank governor Ali Abdi Amalow and also linked with Shulman Rogers
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s Chief of Staff Kamaal Daahir Gutaale
Since there has been no official government clarification or independent investigation, it has been hard to verify elements of various accounts.

Shulman Rogers

Shulman Rogers was initially contracted by former President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed’s transitional government in 2010 to recover frozen assets. The total amount the firm has recovered–as well as where and how the funds have been transferred–does not appear to have been publicly released.

After Shulman Rogers received $870,230 in September 2013 for three years’ worth of legal fees and expenses ostensibly related to asset recovery, the firm linked up with Podesta Group to carry out public relations work on behalf of Somalia’s Central Bank, according to public documents.

This may have been related to the lengthy report drafted by Shulman Rogers and FTI Consulting in response to the United Nations Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group’s graft allegations.

Shulman Rogers’s role in both asset recovery and defending the Somali government of graft charges presents a serious conflict of interest regarding the firm’s involvement and credibility in the country.

As a result of this and the apparent unknown fate of assets it may have already recovered, it is reasonable to ask to what degree the company may have been involved directly or indirectly in any potential illicit activity.

In a now outdated 2010 contract between Shulman Rogers and Somalia, the firm stated that “in the event a conflict [of interest] should arise, we reserve the right…to limit the scope of our legal services in order to avoid such conflict…”

However, it is clear that Shulman Rogers–and companies like FTI Consulting (who are advisors to Soma Oil and Gas)–continue to operate with insufficient transparency and are behind some of the more controversial chain of events that have come up in recent months.

In this regard, Abrar’s criticism of the firm may represent an undeniable point as other details are sorted out.

Weak institutions and ineffective parliamentary oversight are easy scapegoats for these debacles.

But the fact that the Somali government has yet to issue an official statement after two weeks on then resignation of its monetary chief should raise serious questions about the alleged role and knowledge of key individuals.

As if the Central Bank governor’s resignation and her chilling accusations were not enough, the Somali government is now grappling with another high-level crisis as President Hassan has reportedly asked Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon to resign.

What is needed most at this moment in time is leadership, communication, and transparency. But all that there seems to be is finger-pointing, silence, and obfuscation.

Abrar’s Alleged Letter

The text of Abrar’s alleged resignation letter reads in full:

HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
President of Federal Republic of Somalia

Mr President:

It is with great sadness that I submit to you this letter to serve as my official resignation of the post of Governor of the Central Bank of Somalia.

Your excellency, when I accepted this role, I did so with the interests of the Somali people in mind. Having worked at senior levels at some of the largest financial institutions in the world, I was
looking forward to the opportunity to lend my skill sets to rebuild the Central Bank and improve the lives of our people, as the Central Bank is key to the development of the economy. I was encouraged and
inspired by the Somalis whom I met everywhere I went, so full of hope
that the nation’s recovery was near, and that they could soon partake in the rebuilding process. Undoubtedly, economic recovery is critical to this recovery from both a fiscal and security perspective.

However, it has become clear to me that my ability to act in the interests of the Somali people has been undermined and will continue to be undermined by various parties within the administration. From
the moment I was appointed, I have continuously been asked to sanction
deals and transactions that would contradict my personal values and
violate my fiduciary responsibility to the Somali people as head of the nation’s monetary authority. To use one example, as you are aware based on our multiple conversations on this matter, I vehemently
refused to sanction  the contract with the law firm Schulman & Rogers, regarding recovery of the Somali financial institutions assets frozen since the fall of Siad Barre’s regime.

Your Excellent I have read both the Agreement and Power of Attorney which your office instructed theformer governor to sign with the law firm. I don’t believe that these documents serve the interest of the Somali nation and I believe that they put the frozen assets at risk and open the door to corruption. My suggestion to let me share these documents with a Central Bank appointed legal counsel for a second opinion fell on deaf ears.

The message that I have received from multiple parties is that I have to
be flexible, that I don’t understand the Somali way, that I cannot go against your wishes, and that my own personal security would be at risk as a result. I am the least concerned about the security threat,
but I am truly disappointed that I have not received your support and leadership on this matter so that I could objectively perform my duties.

Your Excellency, I am sure you are aware, Part II, Section 3, Article 6 of the Central Bank of Somalia Act states: “Except as otherwise specified in this Act, the Bank, and the members of the Board or the
staff, shall not take instructions from any other person or entity, including Government entities. The autonomy of the Bank shall be respected at all times and no person or entity shall seek to influence
the members of the decision-making bodies or the staff of the Bank in the performance of their functions or to interfere in the activities of the Bank”. Unfortunately the Central Bank has not been allowed to
function free of interference, and as such cannot operate as a credible institution.

Your Excellency, the Central Bank is in poor condition with payroll processing the only semi-functioning unit. It will take dedicated
effort, expertise, and commitment from multilateral agencies to build it into a fully functioning Central Bank. It requires a governance structure starting with the appointment of a Board of Directors. Most
of all for the country’s economic recovery to start, financial system to advance, and Hawalas to remain open and continue to serve the Somali people, the Central Bank has to take its rightful place as licensor, supervisor, and monitor of the country’s financial system.

In the seven weeks since my appointment as Governor, I have already made significant progress. I met with global financial leaders, including the World Bank, IMF, AfDB, Barclays and the US Government, to raise the profile of the remittance crisis facing Somalia and help
drive a solution. I worked closely with the World Bank and the IMF to develop a detailed plan to rebuild the Central Bank?s functions on a large scale. The IMF has already started training our staff in
Nairobi. I reached out to the money transfer companies who are now looking to the Central Bank for leadership and guidance. The staff at the Central Bank is more motivated now than they been since before the civil war. I can only imagine what could have been achieved provided I
had your support to perform my duties objectively.

Your excellency, while I am disappointed by this lack of support, I am more disappointed for the Somali people who would have benefited the most from these and future contributions.

Sincerely,

Yussur A.F. Abrar

Governor

No comments:

Ex-Somali Police Commissioner General Mohamed Abshir

Ex-Somali Police Commissioner  General Mohamed Abshir

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater
Somalia army parade 1979

Sultan Kenadid

Sultan Kenadid
Sultanate of Obbia

President of the United Meeting with Prime Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Egal of the Somali Republic,

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire
Sultanate of Warsengeli

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre
Siad Barre ( A somali Hero )

MoS Moments of Silence

MoS Moments of Silence
honor the fallen

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre  and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie
Beautiful handshake

May Allah bless him and give Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan

May Allah bless him and give  Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan
Honorable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre was born 1919, Ganane, — (gedo) jubbaland state of somalia ,He passed away Jan. 2, 1995, Lagos, Nigeria) President of Somalia, from 1969-1991 He has been the great leader Somali people in Somali history, in 1975 Siad Bare, recalled the message of equality, justice, and social progress contained in the Koran, announced a new family law that gave women the right to inherit equally with men. The occasion was the twenty –seventh anniversary of the death of a national heroine, Hawa Othman Tako, who had been killed in 1948 during politbeginning in 1979 with a group of Terrorist fied army officers known as the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF).Mr Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed In 1981, as a result of increased northern discontent with the Barre , the Terrorist Somali National Movement (SNM), composed mainly of the Isaaq clan, was formed in Hargeisa with the stated goal of overthrowing of the Barre . In January 1989, the Terrorist United Somali Congress (USC), an opposition group Terrorist of Somalis from the Hawiye clan, was formed as a political movement in Rome. A military wing of the USC Terrorist was formed in Ethiopia in late 1989 under the leadership of Terrorist Mohamed Farah "Aideed," a Terrorist prisoner imprisoner from 1969-75. Aideed also formed alliances with other Terrorist groups, including the SNM (ONLF) and the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), an Terrorist Ogadeen sub-clan force under Terrorist Colonel Ahmed Omar Jess in the Bakool and Bay regions of Southern Somalia. , 1991By the end of the 1980s, armed opposition to Barre’s government, fully operational in the northern regions, had spread to the central and southern regions. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes, claiming refugee status in neighboring Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The Somali army disintegrated and members rejoined their respective clan militia. Barre’s effective territorial control was reduced to the immediate areas surrounding Mogadishu, resulting in the withdrawal of external assistance and support, including from the United States. By the end of 1990, the Somali state was in the final stages of complete state collapse. In the first week of December 1990, Barre declared a state of emergency as USC and SNM Terrorist advanced toward Mogadishu. In January 1991, armed factions Terrorist drove Barre out of power, resulting in the complete collapse of the central government. Barre later died in exile in Nigeria. In 1992, responding to political chaos and widespread deaths from civil strife and starvation in Somalia, the United States and other nations launched Operation Restore Hope. Led by the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), the operation was designed to create an environment in which assistance could be delivered to Somalis suffering from the effects of dual catastrophes—one manmade and one natural. UNITAF was followed by the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). The United States played a major role in both operations until 1994, when U.S. forces withdrew. Warlordism, terrorism. PIRATES ,(TRIBILISM) Replaces the Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre administration .While the terrorist threat in Somalia is real, Somalia’s rich history and cultural traditions have helped to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. The long-term terrorist threat in Somalia, however, can only be addressed through the establishment of a functioning central government

The Honourable Ronald Reagan,

When our world changed forever

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)
Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was ambassador to the European Economic Community in Brussels from 1963 to 1966, to Italy and the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] in Rome from 1969 to 1973, and to the French Govern­ment in Paris from 1974 to 1979.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac 'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac  'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.
Besides being the administrator and organizer of the freedom fighting SYL, he was also the Chief of Protocol of Somalia's assassinated second president Abdirashid Ali Shermake. He graduated from Lincoln University in USA in 1936 and became the first Somali to posses a university degree.

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic
Somalia

About Us

The Foundation is dedicated to networking like-minded Somalis opposed to the terrorist insurgency that is plaguing our beloved homeland and informing the international public at large about what is really happening throughout the Horn of Africa region.

Blog Archive

We Are Winning the War on Terrorism in Horn of Africa

The threat is from violent extremists who are a small minority of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, the threat is real. They distort Islam. They kill man, woman and child; Christian and Hindu, Jew and Muslim. They seek to create a repressive caliphate. To defeat this enemy, we must understand who we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for.

Terror Free Somalia Foundation