The Somali parliament have eaten their words and apologized to the finance ministry for the ‘mistake by house finance committee’ that over $ 40 million US Dollar was missing the country’s accounts. What really happened in Somalia?
Last week, reports from Somalia claimed that members of the parliament debated on a case of missing $ 40 Million US Dollar which could not be accounted for by the finance ministry.
According to the reports, $ 20 Million out of the missing $ 40 Million US Dollar was donated by the Saudi Arabian government to fund the 2019 Budget.
The members of parliament had demanded explanations from the Finance Minister, Dr. Abdirahman Duale, who appeared before the house in company of the chairperson of the Somali Central Bank.
However, in what certainly is a twist of events, the Deputy Speaker of the Somali Lower House of parliament, Hon. Mahad Awad, has tendered an apology to the finance ministry for the report tabled and debated on the floor of the house last Saturday.
Hon. Awad said the report was a mistake by house finance committee – who submitted the report for deliberation.
“I want to apologize in that debate was tabled in the house without first submitted to the house business committee,” he said.
The Honorable Deputy Speaker also added that there is no money missing from 2019 budget as previously announced by the house finance committee and some members of the parliament. “The parliament didn’t say [over] USD 40 M is unaccounted for [the committee said it], so we want to apologies to the people and ministry of finance,” he added.
He went further to say that because the debate in the house on the missing funds from the finance ministry circulated like wild fire and aroused criticism from citizens and allies, the house will not table the issue again.