United Elias
18-12-2004, 01:41
Baghad Daily News
Minister of Infrastructure Midhat Al-Abdi today resigned his position in government citing 'misunderstandings', which came about after an extensive investigation into financial irregularities within the Ministry. It is believed that Al-Abdi's personal accountant, who at his firm Dollars and Sense is known as the 'sous chef', co-operated with The Federal Security Bureau in order to improve his own legal position, after it transpired that he had 'improper relationships' with offshore banking corporations, specifically those on Coral Palm Island. The Presidential audit commision reportedly is trying to locate over two hundred million dinars of funds which have 'quite clearly been misappropriated'. In an interview with Minister Al-Abdi during the investigation he was apprently asked how much his yacht had cost and it is alleged that his response was 'which one?'. Although it is no secret that government officals are handsomely renumerated for their work, it was obvious that Al-Abdi was living well above his already considerable means.
According to an internal source, the funds were embezzled by overvaluing the cost for certain projects and equipment and even in some cases inventing programs altogether, the 'Nile valley frost effect evaluation scheme' being one of the more farcical. It is also not the first time that Al-Abdi has come under scrutiny and was acquitted of a charge that he had bribed judges in connection with the privitisation of a then state run utility company eighteen years ago, in which he would have recieved considerable commission for brokering the deal. The Presidential spokesman stated that the Minister's legacy is 'far more than a few balance sheets which didn't quite balance.' The President also named Deputy Infrastructure Minister, Zaki Mohammed as Al-Abdi's succesor, despite claims that he was a co-conspirator in the theft of government funds. The Federal Security Bureau have also stated that they do not intend to prosecute Al-Abdi in a criminal trial, for lack of admissable evidence ,or unofficially because, 'He's already on his plane to Geneva.'
Minister of Infrastructure Midhat Al-Abdi today resigned his position in government citing 'misunderstandings', which came about after an extensive investigation into financial irregularities within the Ministry. It is believed that Al-Abdi's personal accountant, who at his firm Dollars and Sense is known as the 'sous chef', co-operated with The Federal Security Bureau in order to improve his own legal position, after it transpired that he had 'improper relationships' with offshore banking corporations, specifically those on Coral Palm Island. The Presidential audit commision reportedly is trying to locate over two hundred million dinars of funds which have 'quite clearly been misappropriated'. In an interview with Minister Al-Abdi during the investigation he was apprently asked how much his yacht had cost and it is alleged that his response was 'which one?'. Although it is no secret that government officals are handsomely renumerated for their work, it was obvious that Al-Abdi was living well above his already considerable means.
According to an internal source, the funds were embezzled by overvaluing the cost for certain projects and equipment and even in some cases inventing programs altogether, the 'Nile valley frost effect evaluation scheme' being one of the more farcical. It is also not the first time that Al-Abdi has come under scrutiny and was acquitted of a charge that he had bribed judges in connection with the privitisation of a then state run utility company eighteen years ago, in which he would have recieved considerable commission for brokering the deal. The Presidential spokesman stated that the Minister's legacy is 'far more than a few balance sheets which didn't quite balance.' The President also named Deputy Infrastructure Minister, Zaki Mohammed as Al-Abdi's succesor, despite claims that he was a co-conspirator in the theft of government funds. The Federal Security Bureau have also stated that they do not intend to prosecute Al-Abdi in a criminal trial, for lack of admissable evidence ,or unofficially because, 'He's already on his plane to Geneva.'