Deni backs return of UAE money as Farmaajo resists

GOOBJOOG NEWS|GAROWE: Puntland president Abdullahi Deni has lauded Prime Minister Roble’s action of ‘restoring Somalia’s foreign policy and diplomatic relations’ with the United Arabs Emirates after promising to return money seized from the country at Aden Adde Airport in April 2018.

The Puntland Presidency issued a statement last night hailing the Prime Minister’s move and thanked the United Arab Emirates for the assistance extended to the Federal Government of Somalia to mitigate the effects of drought which has ravaged several parts of the country.

“Puntland welcomes the move by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble to restructure Somalia’s foreign policy and diplomatic relations and cooperation with the rest of the world. We commend the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement and apology for the wrongdoing committed in April 2018 against our brotherly Government of the United Arab Emirates,” read the statement.

However, outgoing President Mohamed Farmaajo issued an order to the Governor of the Central Bank against releasing the money seized from UAE, saying the $9.6 M money is illicit and should not be released to any entity as it entered the country illegally.