Corruption in the Comoros

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Corruption in the Comoros follows the familiar patterns of state-based corruption, namely government officials abusing their political powers for private gain in the country of Comoros.

Contents

On Transparency International's 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index, Comoros scored 19 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, Comoros ranked 167th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. [1] For comparison, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), and the worst score was 12 (ranked 180). [2]

Cases

Comoros passport sales scandal

The Comoros Island passport sales scheme was created in 2006 by former businessman Bashar Kiwan and the then president of the Comoros Abdallah Sambi and stayed on course with his successor Ikililou Dhoinine.

The citizenship by investment program was presented as a bilateral solution to achieve the dual objectives of developing the infrastructure of the Comoros Islands and "solving" the stateless resident issue in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Specifically, it would allow the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait to purchase citizenship for 4,000 stateless families in those countries, known as Bidoon, in return the poor Indian Ocean archipelago would receive $200 million to be spent on development projects. However, Kiwan and the entourage of both former presidents embezzled more than $45 million of funds as the country saw no money that went towards any development plan to better the country. It was also discovered that passports were sold through unofficial channels to any individual at the right price. [3] [4]

The official database showed that nearly 48,000 foreigners – including mostly Bidoons - received passports, about 6,000 more than the official number approved by the president, highlighting the scale of sales outside the official channels. The first phase of the scheme, under Sambi, who was in power from 2006 to 2011, was meant to earn Comoros $200 million in return for giving citizenship to 4,000 stateless families. Emirati officials have stated that they had paid the money in full but the report said there was little trace of the money in Comoros public accounts. [4] [5]

In August 2018, Comoros authorities charged former president Ahmed Abdullah Sambi, Ikililou Dhoinine, Bachar Kiwan and other directors of Comoro Gulf Holdings, the company that facilitated passport sales, with corruption, embezzlement of public funds and forgery related to the sales of Comoros passports. [6] [7] [8] Sambi was jailed, and in September 2018 appealed to the Supreme Court to be granted unrestricted access to his lawyer to defend himself in the corruption case. [8] Major-General Mazen Al-Jarrah, Kuwait's former interior ministry assistant undersecretary who had announced the Comoros Islands scheme in Kuwait, [9] was subsequently convicted in February 2021 for receiving bribes for facilitating human trafficking. [10]

From 21 to 24 November 2022, Ahmed Abdullah Sambi, Bashar Kiwan, Majd Suleiman, and other directors of Comoro Gulf Holdings were tried for high treason, embezzlement and money laundering of Comorian public funds allegedly diverted from the economic citizenship program. [11] Prosecutors sought a life sentence for the former president and his accomplices. [12] Sambi was found guilty and sentenced to life in imprisonment, former Vice President Mohamed Ali Soilihi was sentenced to 20 years, and Bashar Kiwan was sentenced to 10 years. [13]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comorian passport</span>

The Comorian passport is issued to citizens of the Union of the Comoros for international travel. As of 1 January 2017, Comorian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 48 countries and territories, ranking the Comorian passport 88th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley visa restrictions index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuwaiti nationality law</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Bashar Kiwan</span> Syrian businessman and fugitive

Muhammad Bashar Kiwan, known as Bachar Kiwan, is a Syrian-French convicted felon, fraudster and international fugitive. He is sought by the authorities in the Comoros Islands for criminal convictions relating to money laundering, fraud, and embezzlement in connection with the Comoros passport sales scandal and in Kuwait for criminal convictions relating to various white collar crimes including money laundering, criminal fraud, forgery, bribery. He is a former businessman, having founded and invested in companies in the media and advertising industry operating in the Arab world, including Al-Waseet International Company. He previously held the positions of chairman of the Syrian Business Council in Kuwait, Honorary Consul of Comoros for Kuwait, and was a member of the Syrian-Iranian Business Council.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comoros passport sales scandal</span> Scandal of the sales of Comorian passports

The Comoros passport sales scandal is a corruption, public funds embezzlement, bribery, and money laundering scheme in connection with a citizenship by investment program launched by the government of the Comoros Islands. Proceeds from the program were intended to finance development in the country but were instead embezzled by the perpetrators of the scheme, which include Syrian fugitive businessman Bashar Kiwan and two former Comorian Presidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comoro Gulf Holdings</span>

Comoro Gulf Holdings (CGH), sometimes referred to as Comoros Gulf Holding or Comoro Gulf Holding, was an investment company set up by Syrian businessmen Bachar Kiwan and Majd Suleiman that had worked closely with former Comorian president Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, and "monopolized investment and development on the islands."

Mohamed Ali Soilihi is a Comorian politician from Grande Comore who served as Vice-President of Union of the Comoros for Ministry of Finance, Budget, Foreign Trade and Economy of Comoros. He served in the cabinet of Ikililou Dhoinine from May 2011 to May 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated". Transparency.org. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  2. ↑ "Corruption Perceptions Index 2022: Comoros". Transparency.org. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  3. ↑ "Kuwait's stateless Bidun 'offered Comoros citizenship'". BBC News. 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  4. 1 2 AfricaNews (2018-08-21). "Ex-Comoros president Sambi charged over passport scheme". Africanews. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  5. ↑ Taylor, Adam. "The controversial plan to give Kuwait's stateless people citizenship of a tiny, poor African island". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  6. ↑ Ahmed, David Lewis, Ali Amir (2018-03-23). "Exclusive: Comoros passport scheme was unlawful, abused by 'mafia' networks - report". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  7. ↑ "Comoros ex-presidents embroiled in passport sale scandal". France 24. 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  8. 1 2 "Comoros Ex-Leader Held Over Passport Sales Demands Lawyer Access". Bloomberg.com. 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  9. ↑ "Kuwait says stateless to be offered Comoros citizenship". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  10. ↑ "Kuwait: Tougher penalties sought in human trafficking case involving Bangladeshi MP". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  11. ↑ "Comoros Ex-leader Refuses To Attend High Treason Trial". AFP News . November 22, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Comoros Seeks Life Term For Ex-president Sambi For High Treason". AFP News . November 24, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Comoros ex-president Sambi jailed for life for 'high treason'". MSN. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
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