Somalia Attorney General Summons Petroleum Minister

Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — The Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Somalia Dr Suleiman Mohamed Mohamud summoned the Petroleum Minister Abdirashid Ahmed. “I am writing in reference to a legal case pertaining to an illegal agreement signed on behalf of Somalia by the Petroleum Minister with a foreign company. The Office of the Attorney General summons the Minister, Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, to answer questions about the agreement signed with Coastline Exploration Ltd” the Attorney General wrote.

In an interview with VOA Somali Service two months ago, Abdirashid claimed that President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed had been aware of the production sharing agreement that the Petroleum Minister signed with Coastline Exploration Ltd against a presidential decree that puts moratorium on any agreements signed with foreign countries and companies during the transition.

In 2021 the Petroleum Minister acknowledged the presidential decree that bars the Ministry from signing any agreement until a new government takes office after indirect elections.

Abdirashid is directly accountable to the Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble whom he did not inform of the “illegal production sharing agreement”. The wording of the letter to the Petroleum Minister implies that Attorney General has come to the conclusion that the production sharing agreement is illegal. Both President Mohamed and his Prime Minister nullified the Production sharing agreement signed by the Petroleum Minister.

© Puntland Post, 2022