How Roble Mishandled Corruption Allegations Against Him

**Roble fuelled corruption allegations after he instructed the Security Minister to restrict movements of Brigadier General Dirir.**

Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — When the Somalia Navy Commander Brigadier General Abdihamid Mohamed Dirir alleged that Mohamed Hussein Roble, the Prime Minister, had misappropriated a public land belonging to the Somali Naval Force, Lieutenant General Bashir Mohamed Jama, former Commander of Somali Custodial Corps, had defended the Prime Minister against corruption allegations. The Prime Minister is building a house on a plot of disused land near the Command Centre of the Somali Naval Force” said Bashir while on a working visit in Baidoa.

**Brigadier General Dirir made allegations against Roble.**

The Prime Minister instructed the Security Minister Abdullahi Nur to restrict the movements of the Navy Commander, in a move that fuelled the corruption allegations against the Roble, who has not so far denied the allegations.

**Lieutenant Bashir unintentionally implicated Roble in corruption allegations.**

The President of Somalia Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed suspended powers of the PM to investigate corruption allegations. Legal experts interviewed by Puntland Post agreed on the legality of the decision to suspend powers of the Prime Minister. “Lieutenant General Bashir unintentionally implicated the Prime Minister in the allegations. The Prime Minister has no right or privilege to acquire a public land. Bashir implied that Roble did not want to go through proper process to convert the disused land into a residence” said a lawyer in Mogadishu who asked for anonymity.

**Instead of advising Roble to respond to corruption allegations, President Farmaajo suspended powers of the PM.**

A notary public owner in Mogadishu told our correspondent that no plot of public land can be acquired without the authorization of Mogadishu Local Government. “The action of the PM sends a wrong message and promotes embezzlement” said the notary public owner.

“If Roble can acquire public land illegally and block any investigations into his conduct, it will be a setback for Somalia” said another lawyer in Mogadishu. Roble has been criticized for giving his detractors a chance to accuse him of administrative impropriety. “He dropped the ball by overreacting to the Navy Commander’s allegations. What complicates the matters is the previous power struggle between the President and Prime Minister, which make the suspension of the powers of the Prime Minister look more politicized than a judicial process” said a political journalist.

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