Auditor General Nur Farah dismisses sack by Cabinet, says only Parliament can fire him

The cabinet Thursday evening fired the Auditor General Dr. Nur Farah barely 24 hours after his security guards allegedly fired at Public Works and Reconstruction Minister Abbas Siraj killing him on the spot but Farah has rubbished the sack order noting only Parliament has the powers to relief him of duty.

Information Minister Abdirahman Yarisow said in a tweet the Cabinet had reached the verdict to allow for investigation into the incident.

“Council of Ministers of Somalia unanimously approved the sacking of the Auditor General so that authorities will begin full investigation,” said Yarisow.

But in a quick rejoinder, the outspoken Auditor General told Goobjoog News the decision by the cabinet was unconstitutional and that the cabinet arrogated itself powers it does not have.

“The Cabinet does not have powers to fire me. Only Parliament can do that,” said Farah.

Article 114 of the Provisional Constitution establishes the offices of Auditor General, Attorney General and the Federal Central Bank as independent offices.

The decision to fire Dr. Farah follows a cabinet meeting hours after the burial of the deceased minister.

President Mohamed Farmaajo who had earlier in the day cut short his visit in Ethiopia to attend the state burial of the minister said he had ordered investigations into the incident and that the perpetrators must be brought to book.

A military court prosecutor quoted by Reuters said two bodyguards attached to the Auditor General have been arrested.

“Two bodyguards of the auditor general are now in the central cell in Mogadishu. We are investigating them over who killed the minister,” the deputy prosecutor of Somalia’s military court, Mumin Hussein Abdullahi, told Reuters.