Thursday June 30, 2022
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Speakers of both Houses of Somalia's parliament have appointed a committee to monitor and verify the finance ministries accounting for the last four years.
The fact-finding committee consists of seven members, including five MPs and two Senators.
The committee was appointed following intense parliamentary sessions during the budgetary readings this week, where lawmakers grilled the finance minister, Abdirahman Duale Beileh, about Somalia's finances between 2018-2022.
Among the most severe accusations were that the finance ministry misappropriated funds and failed to conduct audits.
Lawmakers added that the previous administration did not present the budget to be approved by lawmakers.Beileh was summoned to Somalia's Attorney General on Sunday to appear before the financial, economic, and cybercrimes unit.
However, it was unclear if the Minister was under investigation directly.
Beileh immediately rejected the summons, telling the Attorney General's office to comply with existing rules and procedures that govern the relationship between the Attorney General and government offices.
In October 2019, the Auditor General released a report that accused the Somali government of keeping donor funds offshore and blasted the account-keeping for the individual ministries.
Beileh said that report was inaccurate and said that the report was kept hidden from the finance ministry until its release.
The committee was formed as a prerequisite by lawmakers to approve the 2022 budget. Several lawmakers warned that they would not vote to approve the budget on Thursday if a joint-parliamentary committee did not adequately scrutinize the previous administration's finances.
In January 2022, The US-based accounting giant Deloitte gave Somalia's Central Bank a clean bill of health following an audit of the bank's 2020 financial statements.
The committee members are:
1. Senator Abdihakin Ma'alin Ahmed
2. Senator Said Abdi Hussein Awke
3. MP Sa'id Mohamed Ali
4. MP Mohamud Abdirahman Beenebeene
5. MP Abdirahman Ade Adow
6. MP Saadaq Abdullah Abdi
7. MP Abdikafar Elmi Hange