MOGADISHU – A Somali lawmaker has accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of allowing widespread visa fraud and corruption.
MP Dr. Abdillahi Hashi Abib blamed the president for the recent U.S. visa ban on Somalia in an open letter on Friday.
Dr. Abib chairs the Parliamentary Caucus on Accountability and Transparency. He represents the Awdal Region and Gebileh District.
He said top officials in the government have turned immigration into a black market. Fake visas, diplomatic passports, and human trafficking are among the accusations.
The legislature names the State Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director General of the Ministry of Labor as key players.
Dr. Abib claims the State Minister has no experience in diplomacy. He accuses him of issuing fake visas for up to \$25,000 each.
He also says the Labor Ministry submitted false lists of civil servants to attend overseas conferences.
One case involved 17 imposters caught by the Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA).
The MP says President Mohamud knew about these actions and did nothing.
“You are complicit,” he wrote in the letter dated June 6.
Dr. Abib says the visa ban is linked to Somalia’s failure to control its territory and accept deported nationals.
The U.S. reportedly cited Somalia’s lack of a “competent or cooperative central authority.”
The letter demands the president fire and prosecute corrupt officials.
It also calls for a probe into the Speaker and Permanent Secretary of Parliament.
Dr. Abib wants the president to apologize to the Somali people and foreign governments.
He praised the ICA’s reforms and its current leadership.
But he warned that corruption has already damaged Somalia’s global image.
He threatened formal censure in Parliament and possible international sanctions.
“The era of impunity is over,” he declared.
The president’s office has not responded to the letter.
