Somalia expels two EU officials over ‘Iranian illegal fishing case’

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The Somali government has expelled two foreign nationals over accusations that they sought to interfere with a case involving foreign fishermen who were arrested in March.

According to a communication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two foreigners-Jacek Jozef Ochman of Poland and Ralf Bernhard Gehlig of Germany respectively were ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.

Sources the two left the country on Tuesday after the Foreign Affairs Ministry asked the European Union to facilitate their exit. The two worked for the European Union Capability Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP Somalia).

According to the statement, the two officials visited the Iranian fisherman at the Somali Maritime Police Centre in Mogadishu and took pictures of them ‘in violation of the laws and rules of the country.’

“A crime has been committed by taking secret photos of prisoners at a security installation to tarnish the reputation and dignity of the nation,” Foreign Affairs Minister Abshir Jama said in the letter.

Banaadir Regional Court announced on April 23 that it would auction 30 tons of fish seized from illegal foreign trawlers.