Leaders of Somalia behind bars for sending two million dollars to a Hungarian bank account

A local court gave twelve top officials of the country’s Ministry of Health prison sentences because of corruption. The ministry spent 20 million dollars on COVID-19 protective equipment and tests, during which they transferred 2 million dollars to the Hungarian bank account of a Swiss consulting company. 

Attorney General Seleban Mohamed Mohamud said they were pursuing more cases, and not just in the Ministry of Health, busiweek.com reported. Current investigations concern directors within the ministry, heads of departments, project coordinators, consultants, but they were later extended to staff from private firms working with the institution.

According to the news website, “morale is at its lowest within the ministry in what top medics term as nepotism in employment and promotion,

employment of unqualified staff, and harassment and sacking of whistleblowers.”

As a result, many doctors terminated their contracts with the ministry and want minister Fowziyo Nur Abikar to take responsibility for the widespread corruption in the Ministry.

• Corruption Perception Index: Hungary still among the most corrupt EU member states
• Former tax authority deputy head charged with corruption in Hungary

The reason for the current public outcry was a 20-million-dollar expenditure on coronavirus protective equipment and test kits. “There have been allegations the awarding of a contract to a Hungary-based firm did not go through due process and the government may have lost the money through the phoney deal,” the website says. The beneficiary firm, Drax Consult, was founded only two months ago, and it seems that the transaction involving it