Egypt court upholds Muslim Brotherhood death sentences

Egypt transition
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Mubarak cases
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A court in Egypt has upheld death sentences on 183 Muslim Brotherhood supporters over a 2013 attack on a police station near Cairo.

The men were convicted over the deaths of at least 11 officers in Kerdasa.

The attack took place after Egyptian military forces cracked down on Islamist supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi that July.

Hundreds of death sentences have been passed on Mr Morsi's supporters but none has been carried out.

Human rights group Amnesty International says the death sentences follow grossly unfair trials and highlight Egypt's disregard for national and international law.
Egyptian security forces have often clashed with Muslim Brotherhood supporters in their stronghold of Kerdasa

Mr Morsi will face a new espionage trial on 15 February, Egypt's official Mena news agency says.

He and 10 others will be charged with leaking "classified documents" to Qatar and Qatari-based broadcaster al-Jazeera.

Mr Morsi is already facing three other trials, including another case of espionage. He too could be given the death penalty if found guilty.

Appeal still possible

More than 140 of the 188 defendants in the Kerdasa case are already in custody, while the rest have been sentenced in absentia.

The court also sentenced a minor to 10 years in prison in the case, and two other defendants were acquitted.

The verdict follows a recommendation by Egypt's top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, but it can be appealed against.
Hundreds of death sentences have been handed down against members of the Muslim Brotherhood

Last month, the death sentences of 37 people were overturned on appeal.

The defendants had been convicted of attacking a police station in Minya, south of Cairo, on the same day as the Kerdasa attack.

The violence came after security forces killed hundreds of people when they cleared protest camps set up in the capital by supporters of the ousted Islamist president, Mohammad Morsi.

The original trial also saw some 377 people sentenced to life in prison in absentia.

"[The] death sentences are yet another example of the bias of the Egyptian criminal justice system," Amnesty's Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, said in astatement in response to Monday's verdict.

"These verdicts and sentences must be quashed and all of those convicted should be given a trial that meets international standards of fairness and excludes the death penalty."

Mr Sahraoui said it would be wrong to impose capital punishment "when there are serious doubts hanging over the fairness of the trial" which "outrageously flouted" international law.

The United Nations has called the mass trials "unprecedented".

Mr Morsi was succeeded by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, a former military chief who has been heavily criticised for his crackdown on Islamists.

Hundreds of people, mostly Islamists, have been killed since the army deposed Mr Morsi.







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Tackling taboo of education corruption

By Sean CoughlanBBC News education correspondent

Continue reading the main story

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"There was always a lot of resistance about talking about this problem. They didn't want to associate this word with education."

The word causing such discomfort is "corruption".

Muriel Poisson is a senior researcher for the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), based in Paris, France, which this week launched an international initiative to try to prevent corruption within education.

The IIEP, a research institute that is part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), has created a global online database and information centre for tackling the misappropriation of education funding.

It's been claimed as the world's first such online hub specialising in preventing corruption in schools and universities.

"It hasn't been solved, but least we're talking about it," says Ms Poisson. "It's more and more on the agenda."

'Leakages'

It's not difficult to see why corruption in education systems, particularly in the context of developing countries, has been an uncomfortable topic.

The drive to improve schools is put at risk by corruption, say researchers

If donors are being asked for money to improve education in poorer countries, it's difficult if funding is failing to reach its intended target.

The information being gathered by the IIEP researchers talks of "leakages" between the money and material being put in to the system and what arrives in the classroom.

A search through the anti-corruption database - called Etico - shows that in some sub-Saharan African countries in previous years there could be leakages of 80% in supplying textbooks.

"Talking about corruption means you're pointing the finger," says Ms Poisson.

This might mean accusing high-level officials. But it can also raise some more complex questions about who is to blame for low-level corruption in schools in impoverished countries.

The problem of "ghost teachers", where payments are taken for non-existent teaching posts, or where teachers are absent, can account for 15% to 20% of the budget for teaching staff in some countries, says the IIEP.

Transparency

But teachers can be missing from school because they haven't been paid their salaries for months - and they have to take up jobs in other schools or in other workplaces. Who should be blamed?

Funds are badly needed to improve classrooms in developing countries

And teachers who are paid low wages might have become accustomed to topping up their pay with unofficial fees for a place in school.

There are many factors that hold back education in developing countries, says Ms Poisson. "But corruption can be a key factor - and it's often the poorest who are the first to be affected."

The idea behind the online database is to build a digital reference point for any research into the topic and to provide examples of projects with ideas for tackling corruption.

Among the cases highlighted is a transparency scheme in Rajasthan in India, where details of what should be allocated to the school and the attendance of teachers is painted on to the side of the building, so that everyone can scrutinise the finances.

In Brazil there have been councils of local people created to supervise spending on school meals and to prevent fraud.

Lack of information

As well as a reluctance to address corruption in education, there has also been a scarcity of reliable data on the scale of the problem, says Ms Poisson. She says that "millions of dollars have been sucked out of the system", but there is no confident estimate of how many millions.

Walking to school in New Delhi: The Unesco project will create a research hub

"It's been very scattered. It's very difficult for people to get clear information," she says.

The online portal is intended to gather such information, offer case studies of successful anti-corruption tactics and build an archive for researchers and policymakers.

But it's a problem with many dimensions. It can be major fraud, such as the dishonest awarding of lucrative contracts or procurements in building work, learning materials, staffing or school supplies.

It can mean inflating costs in a way that uses education funding to line pockets rather than furnish young minds.

Or else it can be more localised, such as bribes for a university place or buying a fake degree.

In either case, it's deeply corrosive to the fairness and reliability of an education system. And it's an obstacle for any attempt to raise standards.

Concerns about fraud in education have been highlighted by Transparency International, the Berlin-based anti-corruption campaign group.

A report said one in six students around the world had been asked for a bribe in the course of their studies.

"It's very difficult to say whether it's getting worse or better," says Ms Poisson.

"But the fight against corruptions should be at the top of the agenda."

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Somaliland:We Should be a Society which Shuns Corruption

Somaliland:We Should be a Society which Shuns Corruption




What Really Causes Corruption in Africa?

What are the causes of corruption? Why do people choose to be corrupt rather than honest? in Somaliland, corruption has been a topic of discussion and in most cases in Mosques, the Imams, are preaching and praying that corruption has to be eradicated, in classrooms, university lectures and parliaments, but has there been a discussion on what really causes corruption in our beautiful land of the brave?

It’s only by finding out the root of the problem that the main problem can be solved.

A comprehensive dossier, or reports out this week have exposed that the entire Eu institutions are all corrupt, the very people that lectures and preaches,the rest of the world about anti corruption and promoting equality transparency and accountability.

So this is not an African problem or issue any more, it is worldwide syndrome. The most corrupted country on earth is the USA, all their congress and senators are millionaires, to be politician in the USA you need to be a shrewd, business minded person. They act like gangsters talk like Mia, and steal other country’s natural resources gas, oil gold and minerals. The very people that dominate American Foreign Policy are the biggest crooks of all the U,S stock brokers, bankers arm dealers the hawks and war mongers, The C,E,O oil companies,

All they do for a living, is to sanctioning illegal and in moral wars, in order to illegally occupied sovereign countries by toppling legitimate governments in the process and replacing, with useless weak, and undemocratic hand, picked,puppet authorities the so_ called green zone protection, government, which is friendly to their Geo business interests.

Since The economic melt down caused by the bankers,of the U,S and and Europe the bankers, bail out made the already rich, richer and the poor, the poorer, forcing many families homeless, welfare cut, and unemployment is all time high in mainline Europe. So now we all know who really benefited, from the Libya and Iraq war, and subsequently controls Libya and Iraq oil fields.

, Whilst the rest of the country in Iraq and Libya falls into the hand of warlords, jihadist, extremist, and in complete anarchy. Well this is the price innocent people have to pays for the wrong doing of others, driven, and motivated, by greed, money and power, by any means necessary.

So therefore it is vitally important that we should strive and inspire to create a fair,and just society based on Islamic values, whereby, we support and look after the needy and the most disadvantage in our communities.

In conclusion Somaliland political leaders of all parties, needs to understand the people that put them in power expect delivery and value for money not, a cheap political point scoring, and squabbling.

By: Ali A. Ismail Dheeg Burco___ Somaliland

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Libya PM Zeidan dismissed as oil tanker 'breaks blockade'

Libya PM Zeidan dismissed as oil tanker 'breaks blockade'
The tanker docked at Sidra without government permission

Post-Gaddafi
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'I witnessed Benghazi uprising'
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Land of the gun

Libya's parliament has dismissed PM Ali Zeidan after a tanker laden with oil from a rebel-held port reportedly broke through a naval blockade.

MPs called a vote of confidence in Mr Zeidan after they were told the North Korean-flagged ship had escaped to sea.

Defence Minister Abdullah al-Thinni was named interim prime minister.

Earlier, Libyan officials had said they had "complete control" of the tanker as it tried to leave the port of Sidra. But the rebels rejected the assertion.

Analysis
Rana JawadBBC News, Tripoli

In the long-term, the debate is not really over whether Mr Zeidan's departure will help or make matters worse.

That is because many people want to know if Libya's political players can set their differences aside long enough to allow any prime minister or government to rule the country effectively.

There are deepening social, ideological, and regional fault-lines. The real power lies with the guns, and the guns are with competing militia brigades, some of whom have aligned themselves to opposing political parties and even to the ousted prime minister.

If Libya's most pressing needs - disarmament, an effective army, and a consensus between political parties - are not dealt with, it ultimately will not make a difference who is in power. In recent months, there has been more public pressure on the General National Congress, who many want dissolved, than on the prime minister and his cabinet.

Separatist militants have occupied three major eastern ports since August.

They are seeking a greater share of the country's oil revenues, as well as autonomy for the historic eastern region of Cyrenaica.

'Bad weather'

The tanker - named Morning Glory - was reported to have taken on at least 234,000 barrels of crude at Sidra's oil terminal.

It was the first vessel to have loaded oil from a rebel-held port since the separatist revolt against the central government in Tripoli erupted in July.

The government is still struggling to assert its authority over the armed groups and tribesmen who helped topple Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says Mr Zeidan's removal is likely to raise more concerns over the stability of Libya as it struggles to maintain control over large parts of the country.

Members of Libya's parliament, the General National Congress, said that bad weather had stopped the navy's ships from following the tanker into the Mediterranean from Sidra.

Abdelkader Houili, a member of the GNC's energy committee, told al-Nabaa TV that the navy vessels had been forced to sail close to the coast.
Libyan regions had federal powers from 1951 to 1963

"The tanker then took advantage of the gap to head for the open sea," he said.

Analysts say it is unlikely the ship is owned or controlled by North Korea and it is probably sailing under a flag of convenience to keep its true ownership secret.

On Monday, the GNC ordered a special force to be deployed to "liberate" all rebel-held oil terminals. The operation is due to start within one week.

Libya's government has tried to curb protests at oil fields and ports, which have seen vital oil revenues plummet.
Ali Zeidan had said the tanker was under his government's control

However, there has been little progress at the indirect talks between officials and Ibrahim Jathran, a former anti-Gaddafi militia leader and regional head of the Petroleum Facilities Guard who is now leading the protests.

His demands include the formation of an independent commission representing the three historic regions of Libya, which will supervise the sale of oil and ensure the country's east gets a greater share of revenues.

Libya's oil output has slowed to a trickle since the protests started in July last year, depriving the Opec producer of its main budget source




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Turkey Stops Direct Budget Support To Somalia

Turkey Stops Direct Budget Support To Somalia

Turkey is a key ally of the Somali government. Its vast humanitarian aid effort at the height of the 2011 famine has endeared the country to many Somali people, especially as Ankara continues to build hospitals and dispatch aid across Somalia.

Turkey has backed the Somali government with direct cash aid, in contrast to Western governments who have pledged billions but not in the form of direct budget support.

A Turkish foreign ministry official told Reuters direct budget support payments stopped at the end of 2013.

It is not clear how much cash Turkey donated to Somalia in 2013, when the government budget totalled $110 million.

Somalia’s former central bank chief, Abdusalam Omer, said during his seven-month tenure the support amounted to $4.5 million per month, which he said was paid in cash to the central bank.

A Somali government official confirmed the support stopped at the end of 2013 but said his government “hopes the payments will be re-started”.

When asked whether there were plans to restart payments in 2014 or whether talks were taking place over resuming direct budget support, the Turkish official told Reuters in Ankara: “We have no such plans at this stage. It is not on our agenda.”

An official from TİKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency) said its projects in Somalia were unaffected and would continue.

Turkey’s support for the current government has angered Islamist al Shabaab rebels, who in July raided Turkey’s embassy compound in Mogadishu, killing three people and wounding nine others.

CENTRAL BANK SCANDAL

The government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, which was firmly backed by the West when it came to power in September 2012 amid a wave of optimism, has since become a source of frustration for many Somalis angry with the slow pace of change, insecurity and graft allegations.

The government has lost much goodwill from Western donors angry over a scandal sparked by the resignation of central bank governor Yussur Abrar, who said she quit after only seven weeks in the job due to pressure on her to sign shady deals.

Somali officials denied the corruption claims.

The Turkish official said Turkey’s budget support cut was not related to recent developments, saying the support agreement was only in place for 2013 and had expired.

Horn of Africa analyst Rashid Abdi said the loss of Turkey’s budget aid will “definitely be a disappointment for the current government but I have no doubt they will find another (Middle Eastern) partner who will be happy to plug the shortfall.”

Western diplomats say they will not be stepping up to fill the budget hole and some shudder at how little oversight Turkey had over its aid.

Former governor Omer recalled how once a month he would visit Turkey’s Mogadishu embassy to collect $4.5 million in boxes full of cash. “It was always in $100 bills,” he told Reuters in Nairobi.

Turkey’s ambassador to Somalia declined to comment on his government’s method of delivering budget support.

Analyst Abdi said other countries may be much more secretive over how much financial support they give to Mohamud, an Islamist president with many allies in the Middle East.

“Turkey for all its faults was pretty transparent in its budgetary support for Somalia compared to other Muslim countries.”

Source Reuters




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Eradicate corruption and bring in good governance say Indian expatriates

Eradicate corruption and bring in good governance say Indian expatriates

Reflect on what the country needs to improve and prosper
By Sunita Menon Senior Reporter
Published: 18:05 January 26, 2014


Image Credit: Supplied
Clockwise from top right: Ashok Kumar, Paras Shahdadpuri and Himani Simwal

Dubai: Lack of good governance and rampant corruption hinder the growth of India, said Indians living in the UAE.

Despite these concerns an estimated 2 million Indians celebrated the 65th Republic Day across the UAE yesterday.


Pupils who were seen holding the Indian flag also had something to say on why the largest democracy in the world is not able to sustain its growth.


“I will blame the political parties. They do nothing but wash each other’s dirty laundry in public. Some of them play politics of caste while others play the politics of religion. All they want is to get into power but not one of them thinks of what India requires. All these old politicians should be replaced by young guns willing to take the risk of bringing about good governance,” said Priyanka Agnihotri, a grade 9 pupil.

Agreeing with what Agnihotri had to say, Himani Simwal, an interior designer, wants to see eradication of corruption from the grass-roots level. She said: “I love my country but I am simply scared to go back. Why? Well there is so much corruption. The other aspect that I would like to see in India change is lack of planning. I recently visited China and was impressed by how they have planned their infrastructure. Is it so difficult to do that in a country like India where we have all the resources, brains and the talent to get it done?”


She was all praise for the law and order situation in the UAE and said that she feels safer here than in India. She said: “I am not an Arab, not a Muslim but still I am safe here.”

Ashok Kumar, chief executive officer, Indian High School, said that he would like see transparency and integrity in political parities. “The other thing that I would like to see happening in India is good governance.”

Calling India a vibrant democracy which does not shy from experimenting, Paras Shahdadpuri, president of the Indian Business and Professional Council, said: “We find Indian democracy functional but it requires more discipline in party politics so that we can establish good governance. It is important that political parties put their house in order and give tickets to candidates who are of high integrity. This will make India corruption-free. I also feel that we should come out of populist policy.”

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Turkey ministers Caglayan and Guler resign amid scandal

Turkey ministers Caglayan and Guler resign amid scandal

Related Stories
Clashes as Turkey PM condemns 'plot'
Turkey PM decries 'dirty probe plot'
Erdogan's threat from wounded ally

Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and Interior Minister Muammer Guler have resigned after their sons were charged amid a corruption inquiry that has hit the government.

Twenty-four people have been charged as part of the investigation, including the head of state-owned Halkbank.

In a statement, Mr Caglayan condemned the inquiry as an "ignoble operation".

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to "break the hands" of rivals who used the inquiry to undermine his rule.

Mr Caglayan's son Kaan and Baris Guler, the interior minister's son, have both denied accusations of involvement in bribery relating to urban development projects and the allocation of construction permits.

In response to the police crackdown, a number of police commissioners have been removed from their posts, including the head of police in Istanbul.

The economy minister, in his statement, said he was stepping down "so that all the light may be laid on this ignoble operation that targets our government". It was obvious the police raids had been a "set-up", he added.
The prime minister (R) addressed supporters at Ankara airport hours before Mr Caglayan (L) resigned

Muammer Guler had earlier argued there were no legal grounds for his son's arrest for bribery as he was not a public official.

Mr Caglayan had just returned to the capital, Ankara, on Tuesday night at the end of a trip to Pakistan with the prime minister. He appeared with Mr Erdogan in front of supporters at Esenboga airport hours before his resignation was announced.

The opposition had demanded that both ministers step down and on Sunday anti-government protesters took to the streets of Istanbul demonstrating against the scandal.

The prime minister came to power in 2002 as head of the AK Party and commentators say the arrest of figures linked to the government and the subsequent police dismissals are part of an internal party feud.

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen, in exile in the US, is seen as a rival to Mr Erdogan, and his Hizmet movement has supporters in the police and judiciary.

Mr Erdogan himself has referred to a "dark plot" by forces outside Turkey







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Somaliland: Auditor General Accuses WFP of Corruption

Somaliland: Auditor General Accuses WFP of Corruption
By: G. A. Maher

HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) - The auditor general office has accused Ministry of planning that over sees the work done by WFP was alerted by the auditor general concerning food stuff that have gone missing in mysterious circumstances.

In a letter of complaint sent to the charity organization pertaining under her nose was forwarded by the Ministry of Planning. In a confidential report the government of Somaliland put forward to the WFP senior official reports prepared about eastern regions food distribution that condemns the WFP senior officials of theft of food during the past 3 years of H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Mahmud

(Silanyo) Presidency.

The report says that WFP was forced to sack three senior officials because of their endemic corruption thence prompting President Silanyo to appoint a committee comprising serving members of the cabinet to investigate the agency. Then committee instructed the auditor general to investigate the agency and thus the report was revealed.

WFP has asked the government to give it two weeks to investigate the claims. WFP coordinator Mr. Yusuf Osman Garaas has issued a circular to the government and donors concerning those who apply for food assistance to follow the right channels in their application for aid.





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Kenyan army admits soldiers looted mall

Kenyan army admits soldiers looted mall

Army chief names two soldiers found with mobile phones and cameras apparently stolen during deadly Westgate siege.


Politicians who investigated the looting allegations had said troops did not steal anything [GETTY]


After previously saying Kenyan soldiers only took water from Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre during a deadly siege, the head of the army now says his men looted a variety of items.

General Julius Karangi identified the looters as Victor Otieno and Victor Ashiundu.

He said the two soldiers were found with mobile phones, cameras and chargers that were stolen from the shopping centre during the siege, which left 67 people dead.

"Discipline is our core driving point and we are not playing with this issue," he said. "That is why we have taken action on these soldiers. Two of them have been jailed and dismissed while a third one is under probe."

The attack was the largest in Kenya since the 1998 bombings by al-Qaeda of the US embassy in Nairobi, the capital.

The Somali group al-Shabaab claimed responsibly for the attack, saying it was in retribution for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia, which began in October 2011.

Security camera video

Two weeks ago, a security camera video seen by the Associated Press news agency showed men in fatigues walking out of the Westgate holding plastic bags filled with unknown items.

Others looked behind counters as they moved into the shopping centre.

Kenya's security forces denied any wrongdoing and politicians who investigated the soldiers said they had stolen nothing.

Many questions, including what caused a part of the mall to collapse, remain unanswered more than a month after the attack. Kenyan officials have urged patience, saying they need more time to investigate the scene.

Local and foreign investigators have since been digging through the rubble for evidence, and at least four bodies believed to be those of the attackers have been retrieved.

Suspects in custody

Ndegwa Muhoro, Kenya's director of criminal investigations, said on Tuesday that five suspects were in custody and that two other suspects believed to have played a role in the attack were still at large.

He identified the wanted suspects as Kenyan national Abdikadir Haret Mohamed, who also is known as
Mohamed Hussein, as well as a Somali national named Adan Dheq.

Dheq also is known as Hussein Abdi Ali or Abdulahi Dugon Subow.

The two suspects owned the Mitsubishu salon car registration that police seized outside the shopping centre, nearly a week after the attack.

Police found explosives and weapons inside the car, he said.


Source:
Agencies





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Somaliland: Interior Minister Denounces Country’s Judiciary of Bribery

Somaliland: Interior Minister Denounces Country’s Judiciary of Bribery

Police Response against Gangsters and Thugs might result Loss

By: Mohamoud H. Qodah

Interior minister Ali Waranade

HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Somaliland's Interior Minister Ali Mohamed Waran-Ade strongly condemned Judiciary branch of the country of fraud by getting bribes from the parents of youths convicted of felony offences such as gangs, recidivism and hooliganism, in place of Imposing tougher punishment on them.

"Formation of gangs by youngsters in Somaliland's main cities has been increasing for the months and security forces are chasing after them and detained dozens of youths who have been involving in felonies related offences such thugs and robberies. Arrested youngsters didn't even stay one night in the stations or prisons for the reason that courts took bribes from their parents to free. This will have dire consequences and negative impact on Somaliland's stability. We will no longer accept such fraud made by the courts.

"Victims didn't get their deserved justice and never get justice and protection from the courts of the country. There is nothing that prevents perpetuators from doing the same actions again and people can no longer be safe from the threats of perpetuators' wrongdoings," Said Minster of Interior Ali Waran-Ade speaking to the press after he had a discussion meeting with Somaliland's Security Committee.

Interior Minister added that parents of the wrongdoers will also be punished for the reason that they didn't succeed to stop their children incurring transgressions and misbehaviors. He also pointed out that security forces will make strong reactions and that it is possible their reaction might even result human losses.

Youngsters who are organizing themselves as gangsters have increased in the main cities of Somaliland and in a recent massive police operation netted the detention of more than hundreds of youths including hooligans, recidivists and youths who practice making offences repeatedly.

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Hosni Mubarak appears in court days after release

Hosni Mubarak appears in court days after release


The judge said the proceedings would be fair
Egypt in crisis
Mubarak profile
Cairo voices
Officials in the dock
Muslim Brotherhood

The former Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, has appeared in court, three days after being released from prison and placed under house arrest.

Mr Mubarak is facing a retrial on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising.

He sat in the defendants' cage along with his two sons, former interior minister, and six security chiefs.

Earlier, the separate trial of the Muslim Brotherhood's general guide and his two deputies was adjourned.

The court convened briefly and made its decision because Mohammed Badie, Khairat al-Shater and Rashad Bayoumi were absent for security reasons.

Their presence was requested for the trial's resumption on 29 October.

The Brotherhood leaders face charges of inciting the murder of protesters who stormed the Islamist movement's headquarters in Cairo on 30 June as millions took to the streets demanding the resignation of Mr Mubarak's democratically elected successor, Mohammed Morsi.

Mr Morsi was deposed by the military three days later.

He is is being detained while prosecutors investigate allegations related to his escape from prison during the uprising that forced Mr Mubarak from power, including that he conspired with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Helicopter

On Sunday, Mr Mubarak appeared in the dock inside the high-security courtroom at the police academy on the eastern outskirts of Cairo sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a white tracksuit and dark sunglasses.

Cases against Mubarak
Killing of demonstrators in 2011, "influence-peddling" and profiting from the export of gas to Israel
Illicit gain
Allegations of appropriating for his family funds allocated annually for upkeep of presidential palaces
Receipt of gifts from state-owned press institutions

Source: Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Mubarak-era officials in the dock
Cairo voices on Mubarak release

The 85-year-old was reportedly flown by helicopter to the court from a military hospital where he has been held under house arrest since his release from prison on Thursday. The hearing has been adjourned until 14 September.

Mr Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison in June 2012 after being found guilty of complicity in the killing of hundreds of protesters. His former interior minister, Habib al-Adly, also received a life sentence, but the security chiefs were acquitted.

The former president and his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were cleared of separate charges of corruption relating to a gas export deal at the same trial because of the statute of limitations.

In January 2013, the Court of Cassation accepted appeals against their convictions by Mr Mubarak and Mr Adly and ordered a retrial of all the defendants. Their supporters had noted that the original trial judge had said there was no evidence linking Mr Mubarak to the shooting of protesters.

Their retrial began in May but it has been repeatedly adjourned for various reasons, prompting claims from pro-democracy activists and representatives of the victims that the judges and defence team were dragging out proceedings to avoid a verdict.

On Thursday, Mr Mubarak was moved from a prison cell to house arrest at the hospital in Maadi, ending more than two years of incarceration.

It came a day after a court ruled that he could no longer be detained in relation to a separate corruption case that alleges he accepted gifts from the state-run publisher, al-Ahram. He has already served the maximum time allowed in custody in connection to the complicity case.

Under President Morsi, state prosecutors brought new charges when courts ordered Mr Mubarak's release to ensure he was kept in detention. Alaa and Gamal Mubarak are being held on multiple corruption charges

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Egyptian ex-President Hosni Mubarak released from jail

Egyptian ex-President Hosni Mubarak released from jail



State TV shows a helicopter flying Hosni Mubarak to a military hospital
Egypt in crisis
What now for Muslim Brotherhood?
Who is who in the Brotherhood
Struggle for Egypt's future
Sinai violence a 'dark omen'

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been released from prison after appealing against his detention.

He was flown out of Tora prison in Cairo by helicopter, but is now expected to be put under house arrest.

Mr Mubarak, 85, still faces charges of corruption and complicity in the killing of demonstrators during the protests that toppled him in 2011.

His release is seen by many as a sign that the military is rolling back the changes that flowed from the uprising.

Emergency law

On Thursday, a medical helicopter arrived at Tora, as dozens of Mr Mubarak supporters - some waving flags - gathered outside the prison.

Egypt's TV channel then showed Mr Mubarak being transferred from an ambulance into the helicopter to be taken to a military hospital in Cairo.

This comes after a court ruled on Wednesday that the former leader must be released in a corruption case.

The ruling came during the hearing on charges that the former president had accepted gifts from state-run publisher al-Ahram.

But shortly afterwards, the office of Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said Mr Mubarak would be placed under house arrest after his release.

"In the context of the emergency law, the deputy military commander issued an order that Hosni Mubarak should be put under house arrest," the office said in a statement.

Retrial

Egypt is under a state of emergency amid the bloodshed which has accompanied the interim government's crackdown on Islamists opposed to the army's ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on 3 July.

Hundreds of members of the Muslim Brotherhood - the movement from which Mr Morsi comes - have been detained, including its most senior leader Mohammed Badie, who was wanted over alleged incitement to violence and murder.

Mr Mubarak was sentenced to life in jail last year for complicity in the killing of demonstrators, but a retrial was later ordered after his appeal was upheld.

That retrial opened in May but Mr Mubarak, 85, has now served the maximum amount of pre-trial detention permitted in the case.


http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

Egypt court orders Hosni Mubarak freed

Egypt court orders Hosni Mubarak freed

Hosni Mubarak has appeared frail in some of his court appearances

Egypt in crisis
What now for Muslim Brotherhood?
Who is who in the Brotherhood
Struggle for Egypt's future
Sinai violence a 'dark omen'

An Egyptian court has ordered the release on bail of former President Hosni Mubarak in a corruption case.

Reports from Cairo suggest he may be freed from prison on Thursday, but the prosecution may still appeal.

The 85-year-old still faces charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the uprising that forced him from power in 2011.

He was sentenced to life in jail last year, but a retrial was later ordered after his appeal was upheld.

That retrial opened in May but Mr Mubarak has now served the maximum amount of pre-trial detention permitted in the case.

State of emergency

On Wednesday, the court in the capital ordered the release of Mr Mubarak, said his lawyer and judicial sources.
Continue reading the main story
Egypt's recent events
Tuesday 20 August - Officials announce arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie
Monday 19 August - 25 police officers killed in Sinai peninsula by suspected militants
Sunday 18 August - 36 Islamist prisoners killed during transfer to jail outside Cairo
Saturday 17 August - Security forces clear Cairo's al-Fath mosque in Cairo, used as a pro-Morsi base
Friday 16 August - 173 people killed in clashes around Cairo's Ramses Square
Wednesday 14 August - official figures say 638 people killed as security forces close pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo
What now for Muslim Brotherhood?
Q&A: Egypt in turmoil
Who is who in Muslim Brotherhood
Profile: Muslim Brotherhood

Asked when Mr Mubarak could actually leave the prison, his defence lawyer Fareed El-Deeb told Reuters: "Maybe tomorrow."

The ruling came during a hearing on charges that the former president had accepted gifts from state-run publisher al-Ahram.

Judge Ahmed el-Bahrawi said, who is overseeing the case, was quoted by Reuters as saying that the ruling "is final and the prosecution cannot appeal against it".

Prosecutors have previously brought new charges when courts have ordered Mr Mubarak's release - a move intended to keep the ailing ex-leader in detention.

Analysts say Mr Mubarak's release - if it happens - would be seen by many as a sign the military is rolling back the changes that flowed from the 2011 uprising.

Egypt is under a state of emergency amid the bloodshed which has accompanied the interim government's crackdown on Islamists opposed to the army's ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on 3 July.

Mediation offer

European Union foreign ministers are currently meeting to determine a response to the clampdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Some EU leaders have called for the 28-member bloc's 5bn-euro ($6.7bn; £4.3bn) aid package to Egypt to be cut after more than 900 people were killed in clashes last week.

The violence erupted as security forces cleared two sit-ins in Cairo by people demanding the reinstatement of Mr Morsi.

But sources say the EU ministers are likely to consider the military and security support provided by several European nations, and whether there might be a formal suspension of this across the bloc, reports the BBC's Matthew Price in Brussels.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Baroness Catherine Ashton, has offered to mediate a political solution to the crisis and is working on "confidence building measures" between the interim government and Brotherhood.

In Washington, senior officials discussed on Tuesday whether to reduce the $1.3bn in military aid that the US gives Egypt every year. The meeting reportedly produced no imminent changes to US policy.




http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

أسرة سعودية من 8 أفراد تعيش في حديقة عامة بسبب الفقر’

أسرة سعودية من 8 أفراد تعيش في حديقة عامة بسبب الفقر’

AUGUST 20, 2013

الرياض ـ يو بي آي: اضطر مواطن سعودي يعمل في احدى الدوائر الحكومية بمنطقة المدينة المنورة غرب المملكة إلى افتراش حديقة عامة واتخاذها مسكناً بديلاً، مصطحباً أسرته المكونة من 6 أولاد وزوجته، بعد طرده من شقته بسبب عجزه عن سداد الإيجار.

ونقلت صحيفة (المدينة) على موقعها الإلكتروني، الثلاثاء، عن المواطن عمر يوسف أحمد، قوله إنه حمل جميع أولاده، وأكبرهم يبلغ 15 عاماً وأصغرهم لم تتجاوز ربيعها الأول، معه إلى الحديقة العامة بعد أن غادرت زوجته إلى منزل والدتها، وذلك بسبب عدم كفاية راتبه في سد حاجته، وتراكم الديون عليه، 

ورفض أولاده لعرض أصغرهم للتبني مقابل بدل مادي.

وتصاعدت معدّلات البطالة في المملكة التي تملك أكثر الموارد النفطية في العالم، بعد ارتفاع عدد سكان البلاد من 6 ملايين عام 1970 إلى 28 مليوناً حالياً. وكشفت مصلحة الإحصاءات والمعلومات السعودية أن معدّل البطالة في المملكة بلغ 12.1 بالمئة عام 2012، مشيرة إلى أن 73.3 بالمئة من السعوديات الحاصلات على شهادة جامعية عاطلات عن العمل.

وكان وزير العمل السعودي عادل فقيه قال إن لدى المملكة نحو نصف مليون سعودي عاطل عن العمل، غير أن بعض المحللين يقولون إن الرقم أضعاف ما ذكره الوزير.’

وأوعز العاهل السعودي بإنفاق 37 مليون دولار على برامج الإسكان وزيادة الأجور وإعانات البطالة عام 2012.

http://www.alquds.co.uk/?p=76462


http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

Egypt's Mubarak to be freed from jail, lawyer says

Egypt's Mubarak to be freed from jail, lawyer says

Kuwait to deport nine Egyptians over protest against Cairo crackdown - source
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By Alistair Lyon and Asma Alsharif

CAIRO | Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:30pm BST

(Reuters) - Egypt's disgraced former President Hosni Mubarak will be released from jail soon, after prosecutors cleared him in a corruption case, his lawyer said on Monday, dropping a new bombshell on a nation in turmoil.

The most populous Arab country is already enduring the bloodiest internal conflict in its modern history as the army, which deposed President Mohamed Mursi on July 3 after huge protests against him, cracks down on his Muslim Brotherhood.
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Mubarak, 85, was arrested after a popular uprising overthrew him on February 11, 2011 as unrest spread across the Arab world.

In scenes that mesmerised Arabs, the ex-strongman appeared in a court-room cage during his trial on charges that ranged from corruption to complicity in the murder of protesters.

More than a year on, the only legal grounds for Mubarak's continued detention rest on another corruption case which his lawyer, Fareed el-Deeb, said would be settled swiftly.

"All we have left is a simple administrative procedure that should take no more than 48 hours. He should be freed by the end of the week," Deeb told Reuters.

Without confirming that Mubarak would be freed, a judicial source said the former leader would spend another two weeks behind bars before judicial authorities made a final decision in the outstanding case against him.

Mubarak, along with his interior minister, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to stop the killing of protesters in the revolt that swept him from power.

He still faces a retrial in that case after appeals from the prosecution and defence, but this would not necessarily require him to stay in jail. Mubarak did not appear at a hearing in the case on Saturday. He was also absent from Monday's proceedings.

He is being held at Tora prison on the southern outskirts of Cairo, the same facility where senior Brotherhood members have been detained in a clampdown that followed Mursi's ouster.

Mubarak's eventual release could stir more political tension in Egypt, where at least 850 people, including 70 policemen and soldiers, have been killed since the army-backed government forcibly dispersed Brotherhood sit-ins in Cairo on Wednesday.

DEADLY SINAI ATTACK

In separate violence, suspected Islamist militants killed at least 24 policemen on Monday in the Sinai peninsula, where attacks on security forces have multiplied since Mursi's ouster.

Three policemen were also wounded in the grenade and machinegun attack near the north Sinai town of Rafah on the border with Israel, medical and security sources said.

Photos circulated on social media and purporting to show the aftermath of the attack showed victims lying with their hands tied behind them, apparently shot execution-style. They were not in uniform. The photos could not be immediately verified.

The assault underlined the challenges facing Egypt's new rulers, who portray their campaign as a fight against terrorism.

One policeman was also shot dead by a sniper in the Sinai city of El Arish, the state news agency reported, quoting a security source.

The Brotherhood renounced violence decades ago and denies any links with armed militants, including those in Sinai who have gained strength since Mubarak's overthrow.

Mounting insecurity in Sinai also worries the United States because the desert peninsula lies next to Israel and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, as well as the Suez Canal.

At least 36 Islamists died in government custody on Sunday, in an incident that the Brotherhood described as "murder" and the authorities said was a thwarted jailbreak.

"The murders show the violations and abuses that political detainees who oppose the July 3 coup get subjected to," said the Brotherhood, which has called for an independent, non-Egyptian investigation into the incident.

The Interior Ministry said 36 Brotherhood detainees had been suffocated by tear gas during an attempted prison breakout near Cairo. A legal source said 38 men had died from asphyxiation in the back of a crammed police van.

DISCORD OVER AID

Egypt's upheaval is causing global jitters, but no consensus on how to respond has emerged in the West or the Arab world.

European Union diplomats were due to meet in Brussels to review how best to leverage some 5 billion euros (4.2 billion pounds) of promised grants and loans, looking to apply pressure on Cairo's army-backed government to find a compromise.

A senior EU official who asked not to be identified said the United States, Europe and Gulf Arab states had only limited influence on the generals now calling the shots in Egypt.

The United States, an ally of Egypt since it made peace with Israel in 1979, has postponed delivery of four F-16 fighters and scrapped a joint military exercise, but has not halted its $1.55 billion in annual aid, spent mostly on U.S.-made arms supplies.

However, Republican and Democrat U.S. lawmakers, some of them reversing the stances they had espoused before last week's crackdown in Egypt, said on Sunday the aid should be suspended.

"For us to sit by and watch this happen is a violation of everything that we stood for," said Senator John McCain, a former Republican presidential nominee.

Saudi Arabia, another U.S. ally, urged Washington and Europe not to penalise Cairo for its drive to crush the Muslim Brotherhood, whose political ambitions arouse mistrust in several Gulf Arab states, with the exception of Qatar.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy sought to pre-empt any attempt to use aid flows as a lever by saying he would look at all such assistance to see "what aid is being used to pressure Egypt and whether this aid has good intentions and credibility".

In his first public comments since hundreds of people were killed when security forces cleared two pro-Mursi camps in Cairo on Wednesday, army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said he would not "stand by silently watching the destruction of the country".

Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi has proposed disbanding the 85-year-old Brotherhood, which has won all of the five votes held in Egypt since Mubarak's overthrow.

Dozens of churches and other Christian properties have been looted and burned across Egypt since security forces violently broke up pro-Mursi sit-ins in Cairo last week.

In Minya, south of Cairo, the remains of a Christian-run orphanage were still smouldering late on Sunday. Two churches and several Christian-run shops in the city had been sacked.

A doctor, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisals, showed a brick he said Islamist protesters had thrown through his clinic window last week. "They are terrorists," he said, his voice quivering with anger.

The Muslim Brotherhood has condemned attacks on Christians and denies that it has instigated them.

(Additional reporting by Lin Noueihed and Tom Perry in Cairo and Alex Dziadosz in Minya; Editing by Michael Georgy)


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Xaabsade Oo Xili La Bedelay Shaaciyay Qandaraas Uu ku Bixiyay Adeeg Xasaasi ah Oo uu u Gacan Geliyay Shirkad gaar ah

xigasho: DAWAN

http://dawannews.com/index/2013/07/01/xaabsade-oo-xili-la-bedelay-shaaciyay-qandaraas-uu-ku-bixiyay-adeeg-xasaasi-ah-oo-uu-u-gacan-geliyay-shirkad-gaar-ah/

Hargeysa, (Dawan). Wasiirkii hore Wasaaradda Hawlaha Guud iyo Guriyeynta ee xilka lagaqaaday Axmed Cabdi Xaabsade, ayaa xilli la filayo inuu xilka wareejiyo  ayaa shalay shaaca ka qaaday inuu  shirkad gaar loo leeyahay oo aanu magac-dhabin qandaraas ku siiyay samaynta iyo bixinta Liisadda dirawaladda Gaadiidka, waxaana  xaflad arrintaasi lagu shaacinayay lagu qabtay xarunta wasaaradaas ee Magaaladda Hargeysa.

Wasiirkii hore ee Hawlaha Guud Md. Xaabsade oo ka hadlay munaasibadda ayaa sheegay inuu ku faraxsan yahay inuu shirkad gaar ah ku wareejiyay bixinta liisamada wadeyaasha gaadiidka oo qandaraas lagu siiyay, waxaanu sidoo kale xusay inuu shirkad kalena siin doonaan tabobarada darawaliinta iyo la socodka xaalada gaadiidka,  waxaanu timaamay in ujeedadu tahay sidii loo yarayn lahaa shilalka soo noqnoqday ee maalin walba dalka ka dhacaya ee ay ka dhalanayaan khasaarha dhimasho iyo dhaawac isugu jira. “Liisankii lafta ahaa ee dunida laga isticmaalo ayaa maanta (shalay) aanu furnay oo aanu siinay shirkad nala shaqaysay oo arrintan soo abaabushay oo muddo dheer ka soo shaqaynaysay, waynu ognahay dhibaatada dalka haysa waxa ugu wayn oo dhibaatada dagaalada sokeeye ee dadku ku dhimanayo waxa kaga wayn dhibaatooyinka dadka ku dhimanaya ama ku dhaawacmaya shilalka gaadiidka.”,ayuu yidhi Xaabsade, waxaanu intaas ku daray isagoo sharaxaya masuuliyada culus ee wadeyaasha laga rabo. “Ruuxa baabuurka wadayaa waxa uu qaadayaa masuuliyad dadka iyo duunyada saaran iyo gaadhiga laftiisa oo lacag badan dalka ku yimi ninka markaa wadayaa waa in uu ahaadaa qof aad iyo aad loo tabobaray oo masuuliyada qaadi kara, haddana waxa dhacda in islaan waliba markay gaadhi soo iibsato ay kay edada u tahay tidhaahdo halkan soo fadhiiso kaxee waad wadi taqaanaaye dabeedna uu jar ka tuuro ilaa iyo hadda dadka dhintay waa kumanyaal maaha boqolaal shilalka gaadiidka, markaa waxaanu go’aansanay inaanu qoladan siino qandaraaska liisamada, qolo kalena waxaanu siin doonaa tabobarada darawaliinta iyo la socodka xaalada gaadiidka.”

Qandaraaskan uu bixiyay Wasiirkii hore ee Wasaarada Hawlaha Guud iyo Guriyeynta, Axmed Cabdi Xaabsade, ayaa ku soo beegmaya wakhti xilkii ama masuuliyadii Wasaaradaas ee uu hayay laga qaaday, isla markaana aanu ku wareejinWasiirkii cusbaa ee loo soo magaacaabay Wasaaradda Hawlaha Guud iyo Guriyeynta Md. Cabdirisaaq Khaliif Axmed.

Sidoo kale, warar xog ogaal ah oo aanu helay ayaa sheegaya in Madbacadda qaranka oo Madaxweynaha Somaliland uu hore amar ugu bixiyay inay daabacdo dhammaan dukumantiga dawladda lagala leexday liisamadda cusub, iyadoo si weyn isku diyaarisay Madbacaddu  inay samayso liisamo ka tayo wanaagsan kuwan ay shirkadda qandaraaska lagu siiyay soo bandhigtay. Lama garanayo in qorshahani uu u hirgeli doono Wasiirka xafiiska ka sii socda iyo in kale.

By: Yoonis M.Jamaac

Dawannews Hargeysa office

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

Ethiopia: Anti-Corruption Commission targets land fraud next....

Anti-Corruption Commission targets land fraud next....

Following last week’s shocking announcement of the sudden arrest of the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority’s (ERCA) top officials, The Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC) continued its campaign against corruption this week with the announcement of its investigation of other governmental offices. Next is the investigation of a massive land fraud that the Commission is currently working on. In his ten months performance report to the House of People’s Representatives on Tuesday May 14, Ali Suleiman, Commissioner of FEACC, reported that his commission is also investigating major corruption frauds in other government offices involving high level officials. On his report the Commissioner indicated that his office has finalised the long and painstaking investigation on land fraud worth close to one billion birr.
According to the report, the trial related to 3,226 square meter misappropriated land, valued at 21.1 million birr is ongoing. Meanwhile, “the corruption investigation on a 3,837 square meter land worth 25.1 million birr is completed and delivered to the Prosecutor General to take legal measure. Another massive land related corruption attempt concerns 128,709 square meter plot worth 842 million birr that is currently under investigation,” Commissioner Ali explained in his report. Last week the commission has detained high level government officials and high profile businessmen on alleged involvement in corrupt activities. The detained officials include Melaku Fenta, ERCA’s director and his deputy Gebrewahid Woldegiorgis. 

Five days after the measure the Commissioner assisted by his top officials presented the performance of their commission. Commissioner Ali said that the investigation that led to the latest crackdown on ERCA started three years ago under the leadership of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. “The investigation was completed last year and was going to be presented to the late prime minister but it was suspended in connection with his poor health and later his passing away,” Ali clarified.

He added that the commission is also undertaking various investigations in other governmental institutions, and it will take the necessary measures after it completes the investigation. The commissioner further stated that procurements worth 164.6 million birr and 2.9 million USD conducted in different governmental institutions is currently under investigation. Following the report members of parliament (MP) raised questions mainly focussed on the latest scandal.
MPs voiced their concern with regards to the Commission’s delay in taking appropriate measures on the recently announced grand tax and related fraud and corruption cases. 

They said that the delay has allowed it to go out of hand and reach this disgraceful level. The Commissioner said that before taking the measures his office needed to collect enough evidence. “If we arrest the suspects at its early stages of investigation, we will lose relevant documents and witnesses. Due to that we give priority for detailed investigation,” he explained. Responding to the accusation that many complaints and corruption reports are lost on deaf ears at the Commission, he said, “We do not fire at every hullabaloo!” source ( Capital)

http://www.ethiopian-this-week.com/2013/05/anti-corruption-commission-targets-land.html


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Does Karim Wade’s arrest mean “the time when one could pillage public goods is gone” in Senegal?

Does Karim Wade’s arrest mean “the time when one could pillage public goods is gone” in Senegal?
 by janetteyarwood



Karim Wade, the son of octogenarian ex-president Abdoulaye Wade, has been sitting in a central Dakar prison for nearly a month as he awaits trial for corruption charges. The younger Wade was arrested and formally charged with illicit enrichment after an investigation revealed that he amassed $1.4 billion in personal wealth.

During his father’s presidency from 2000-2012, Karim Wade held a number of posts including Minister of Infrastructure, International Cooperation, Energy and Air Transportation. As “the Minister of Earth and Sky” as he was popularly known, he was reportedly responsible for a total budget of one-third of state expenditure via Senegal’s largest infrastructure projects. Prosecutors have accused Karim of having stakes in large sectors of the economy including firms managing Dakar’s port and airports. The investigation also links Wade to a complex web of off-shore accounts located in Panama, the British Virgin Islands and Luxemburg. Wade’s lawyers have denied the charges against him and claim they can prove his wealth was legally obtained.

Interviews with people on the ground indicate that the majority of the population believes this is a good move for new president Macky Sallwho pledged to crackdown on corruption and increase transparency. For a small number of people, however, the arrest represents a political “witch hunt” against former ruling Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) on the part of the current government. Does Wade’s arrest mean that“the age of impunity is over” and “the time when one could pillage public goods is gone” as stated by Senegal’s Justice Minister, Aminata Touré or will this arrest encourage politicians to remain in office because they fear prosecution? Where should public officials accused of fraud and corruption be brought to trial, at the International Criminal Court (ICC), regional bodies such as Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) or neighboring countries?

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

MPs' expenses scandal: Denis MacShane resigns

MPs' expenses scandal: Denis MacShane resigns
Denis MacShane has resigned as a Labour MP, after a parliamentary enquiry found that his conduct was the “gravest case” of wrongdoing ever to have been investigated.

Labour MP Denis MacShane Photo: PA

By Holly Watt and Claire Newell

The MP for Rotherham was due to be suspended from his role for a year after an enquiry found that he had falsified invoices to claim thousands of pounds in taxpayer-funded expenses.

However, he has now decided to step down as an MP, triggering a by-election.


"I have decided for the sake of my wonderful constituency of Rotherham and my beloved Labour Party to resign as an MP by applying for the Chiltern Hundreds or as guided by the House authorities," said Mr MacShane.


"I love the House of Commons and I hope by resigning I can serve by showing that MPs must take responsibility for their mistakes and accept the consequences of being in breach of the House rules.”


The police are also under pressure to reopen their investigation, after the report by the Parliamentary Committee on Standards and Privileges concluded that Mr MacShane was “writing his own cheque” from taxpayer funds.

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In the report, the standards commissioner John Lyon said the investigation was suspended for almost two years because of the police enquiry.

However, although Mr Lyon reported Mr MacShane to the police in October 2010, he noted in his report that his evidence was not requested by the police, raising serious questions about the police investigation.

The enquiry was dropped after the Crown Prosecution Service concluded that the file passed to them by the police in December 2011 contained insufficient evidence to try Mr MacShane.

The police have launched, but subsequently dropped, several enquiries into MPs following the expenses scandal.

Between 2004 and 2008, Mr MacShane claimed up to £950 for research and translation costs to pay the European Policy Institute (EPI). The total amount claimed was £12,900, with nineteen fasified receipts.

However, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards John Lyon’s report found that Mr Macshane himself controlled the EPI’s bank account.

“The EPI was a loose network with no formal structure. The names at the bottom of the letterhead were friends and associates of Mr MacShane dating from the early 1990s when he was working in Geneva and the EPI had come into existence,” wrote Mr Lyon.

The Committee on Standards and Privileges announced the suspension over three years after Mr MacShane was reported to the watchdog over his expenses. The Daily Telegraph exposed the expenses scandal in 2009.

The investigation was delayed because of a police enquiry that was only resolved last July. It was not clear why the police enquiry was terminated without charges.

The investigation began after it emerged that Mr MacShane had claimed nearly £20,000 a year in expenses for an office based in the garage of his South Yorkshire home.

The former Minister claimed £125,000 in seven years to cover the costs of running his official constituency base from the garage of his semi-detached home in Rotherham.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/9651978/MPs-expenses-scandal-Denis-MacShane-resigns.html
http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

On Corruption and Somali Journalists

On Corruption and Somali Journalists

By Liban Ahmad

The reaction by some Somali journalists in Mogadishu to the Guardianarticle by the Somali journalist, Jamal Osman, vindicated Jamal who argued that corruption also caused the murder of many journalists. Jamal defended his article in a Universal TV interview last night. He said journalists were murdered in Mogadishu for one of three reasons: ( 1) they were targeted for working for the government media organisations (2) they were accidentally killed in suicide bombing operations against government officials, or ( 3) they were killed by assassins for a political group who felt the the journalist had been a propagandist for a rival group.

Most journalists work for local radio stations in Mogadishu that were launched as mouthpiece for local sub-clans. Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland administration, has a press law and political parties, but one neutral radio station and several daily and weekly newspapers.

No Mogadishu radio station has a code of conduct because radio stations, like post-1991 shops, were launched without a local authority permission, and managers and journalists are accountable to the owners and associated sub-clans. Why are some Mogadishu journalists trying to mislead public about the fact that some of their colleagues accept bribes ( sharuur) ? Jamal was right to tell us that " corrupt journalists expose themselves to serious potential consequence." This an admirable act of self-criticism.

Nearly six years ago I listened to a radio debate between Harun Ma'rtuf of VOA Somali Service, and the veteran Somali journalist Mahamud Mohamed Afrah, on the role of journalists. Harun Maruf laughed in disbelief to relate the story of a journalism seminar participant who said that belonging to sub-clan with a militia and technicals was one of the qualities a Mogadishu-based journalist "should have. "

Rather than organising a mass rally against Jamal Mogadishu journalists can write a letter to the Guardian or publish a rebuttal if they beg to differ with Jamal on how Somali journalists operate. Jamal has begun a timely debate on unethical journalism practices by some Somali journalists who are bribed or ask for bribes.

Liban Ahmad

libahm@gmail.com

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/