According to reliable sources, widespread corruption and mismanagement exist at the Visa Application Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the federal government of Somalia.
This office is responsible for providing government officials and employees who hold service and diplomatic passports with letters requesting embassies around the world to grant them the visas or entry permits they need.
Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Macalin Fiqi recently appointed a man he brought to this special office, named Abdiwahiid Geedi Mahmoud, and transferred him from the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who previously reported to this office.
Abdiwahid Gedi Mahmoud has started a corruption scandal in the department, taking bribes of up to $5,000 from holders of diplomatic and service passports who are preparing documents for applying for visas to European countries.
This office has become a source of income for Minister Fiqi and the man he appointed there, which has led to it becoming a department distinct from other departments in the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The visa application office has become a place that attracts smugglers and some government officials who have made a living by applying for and trading visas for people traveling to Europe, who hold diplomatic passports and those issued to Somaliland employees.
Western embassies based in Nairobi, surprised by the high demand for visas, have suspended issuing visas at the Ministry’s request after becoming suspicious of how things are going, resulting in many people who were charged money losing their visas.
Mr Fiqi succeeded in reducing the power of the Deputy Minister of the Ministry who was in charge of this department, although the Minister was successful in dealing with a lot of pressure from the Minister of State for the Ministry, Ali Balcad, due to the man being very close to President Hassan Sheikh.
This act has significantly reduced the value of the Somali passport and its credibility, which was already very low after diplomatic and service passports were corruptly issued to people who were not government officials and employees.
