Somali Federal minister accuses foreign organizations of ‘plot to assassinate him’

Federal Minister of State for Finance Mohamud Hair Ibrahim has accused Jay Bahdur and a Swiss-based non-governmental organization of hacking his e-mail and plotting to assassinate him.

The agency is investigating illegal fishing off the coast of the Indian Ocean off Somalia, according to Kenya’s Nation newspaper.

Hayir has asked a Kenyan court to issue an order barring Jay Bahdur and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (Giato) from investigating illegal fishing off the coast of Somalia with the minister being accused of being part of the plot to loot public coffers.

The state minister was involved in an investigation by Jay Bahdur into North East Fishing (Nefco), one of Somalia’s largest exporters of fish to China.

NEFCO, which works with Chinese fishing companies, said in its investigation that most of the fish were caught illegally with the support of senior officials from the Federal Government of Somalia.

Bahdur and Giato are investigating a group of Somali officials suspected of helping NEFCO, which has been in the fish business for 30 years.

The Minister of State for Finance, according to Kenya’s The Nation, has filed a lawsuit alleging that Jay Bahdur and Giato hacked his e-mail account and leaked sensitive information to him, and wants Kenya’s Supreme Court to intervene.

The Minister did not say why he did not file the lawsuit in Somalia instead.

Mohamud Hayir has not denied allegations that he was involved in illegal fishing, but claims that his role in the issuance of these permits was obtained illegally as his email was hacked.

Most of the officials mentioned in the Giata report and their relationship with the China Overseas Fisheries Association did not respond to the allegations.

Attempts to establish direct contact with the minister were unsuccessful.