Yemen launches effort to combat corruption and money-laundering
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) launched a comprehensive crackdown on corruption within government institutions, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
This series of measures is aimed at safeguarding public funds and tackling financial crimes, including money laundering and terrorism financing.
Chairman of the PLC, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, announced the unprecedented measures on January 6th, following reports from audit and judicial bodies detailing major corruption cases over recent years. The move is designed to improve government transparency and address long-standing issues of mismanagement and financial malpractice.
The Yemeni state media reported that Dr. al-Alimi has issued urgent directives to complete investigations into ongoing corruption cases, with a mandate for relevant audit authorities to follow up. The PLC also plans to refer the cases to the judiciary, with authorities set to pursue suspects both within Yemen and internationally.
The initiative comes at a time when the Yemeni people are keenly awaiting tangible results that would enhance government performance and establish greater accountability in the management of state resources.
The General Prosecution has called for action on over 20 cases involving financial corruption, money laundering, terrorism financing, and tax evasion. Among these, investigations are focusing on corruption in contracts related to essential services, such as power generation, as well as illegal seizures of oil derivatives and violations of state property.
But the prosecution has expressed frustration with some state institutions, accusing them of failing to provide requested evidence and documents, which has hindered the progress of investigations. In addition, the prosecution has called for asset freezes against individuals and entities implicated in financial crimes, including some linked to the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
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The crackdown has also uncovered significant violations within the Central Bank of Yemen, which occurred after its relocation to Aden in 2016. The state’s audit body revealed that the bank had engaged in financial misconduct, including the illegal appropriation of consular fees. The Yemeni consulate in Jeddah, for example, is accused of embezzling 156 million Saudi riyals, while the embassy in Egypt is implicated in the theft of $268,000 through fraudulent documents.
In the energy sector, audit authorities reported severe violations in oil derivative contracts, with an estimated $285 million in public funds allegedly wasted. Furthermore, the audit body revealed that influential figures and armed groups had exploited the ongoing conflict to illegally seize vast amounts of state property, including over 476 million square meters of land.
Asharq Al-Awsat.
