Somalia President: Al-Shabaab Uses “Unsuspecting” Bank Account Owners to Levy Taxes

[Deeq A.]

Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, said yesterday that Al-Shabaab attempts to find ways around restrictions and surveillance on their financial operations. “One trick that an Al-Shabaab [operative] uses is to approach an unsuspecting relative and urge him/her to open a [mobile] bank account. The account owner does not have any clue about how the account will be used, but authorities become aware of unusual transactions, such as 10 million dollars in the account, and summon the account owner,” said President Mohamud.

The owners of bank accounts used by Al-Shabaab to levy taxes on businesses are not aware of who uses the bank account. “Bank account owners are flabbergasted to learn that Al-Shabaab uses the bank accounts registered in their names,” said President Mohamud. President Mohamud said the telecommunications surveillance system enables security forces to identify people who receive calls from blacklisted individuals affiliated with Al-Shabaab. “Authorities will interview any person whom Al-Shabaab operatives phoned,” President Mohamud added.

A video clip of the speech by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) collected information on telephone numbers used by Al-Shabaab, into which businesses pay taxes levied by Al-Shabaab. NISA received help from a major Western intelligence agency to determine the total number of phone numbers and mobile phone banking details used by the blacklisted organisation to boost its income. “NISA interviewed every owner of a mobile banking account used by Al-Shabaab,” a former senior officer at the Office of the National Security said.

© Puntland Post, 2024

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