The Hassan Sheikh government’s e-visa scheme is on the verge of failure after being exposed as a fraudulent and obstructive scheme designed to conceal corruption and illicit revenue collection.
The President’s team has amassed significant funds through deceptive means, falsely informing Mastercard, Visa, and international banks that the payments they process are for “public goods.” The objective is to circumvent financial compliance rules and ensure monetary opacity. An investigation has now been launched to uncover the true architects behind this fraudulent system.
The “e-visa” program is a stark reminder of Hassan Sheikh’s failed attempt back in 2013–2014 to collect Somalia’s frozen assets from abroad. That endeavor ended in a global scandal: it led to the resignation of two Central Bank governors, allegations of corruption from the United Nations, and a U.S. government lawsuit against the government’s contracted gold company—a case that remains active into 2024.
Hassan Sheikh and his group are once again treading a familiar path. This scandal appears poised to expose the individuals and companies involved in this debacle, revealing how corruption has been institutionalized.
This is a self-destructive path. The inevitable outcome will be a fall into the very trap they are setting for others.
