MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The former powerful National Intelligence chief Fahad Yasin fled the capital Mogadishu on Sunday, just a day before the inauguration of new Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Monday, Caasimada Online news website reported.
Accompanied by his right-hand man Abdirahman Dhere, Yasin boarded a Turkish Airlines flight from Mogadishu to Istanbul and informed his close associates that his trip would be wrapped up shortly. But it is not yet clear whether he would return to Mogadishu or live abroad in self-imposed exile.
On Thursday, Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble blamed Yasin for a year-long power struggle between him and Farmajo, and urged the new President not to give an opportunity to a kingmaker politician.
In March, speaking on the assassination of an opposition MP Amina Mohamed in a suicide blast and the preceding disappearance of a female spy from her constituency, Roble pointed finger at Mr Yasin and other allies of the outgoing leader. read more
Mired in a number of scandals, including the murder of female intelligence staffer at his office Ikran Tahlil and attacks on the residences of opposition figures, the two-term powerful kingmaker will miss a ceremony in which his ally Farmajo will transfer power to the new leader on Monday.
Ikran Tahlil’s parents earlier filed a case against Yasin and other top spy officials at a Somali military court. The family also rebuffed attempts by Farmajo to settle the case outside of court by paying blood money.
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