Today, a statement issued by the European Union has strongly condemned the attack on Horseed Media…
Today, a statement issued by the European Union has strongly condemned the attack on Horseed Media journalist in Garowe Puntland.
Omar Dhere who is also the editor of Horseed Weekly Magazine was physically attacked by the owner of construction company John Yardi, who is one of the contractors competing for an EU funded project.
The journalist also received several threatening calls from Mr. Gaar Yassin, the owner of another construction company bidding for the same project.
`…The Delegation of the European Union is aware of media reports alleging that a Somali journalist was beaten up and intimidated for questioning alleged tender malpractices in an EU funded road project in the Puntland State of Somalia….` the EU said in the statement adding `..The EU strongly condemns the alleged harassment of the journalist and such actions, if confirmed, cannot be justified…`
The EU is seriously concerned about any malpractices including corruption and is confident that the matter will be thoroughly investigated and that action will be taken on the findings.
Both acts of violence were the perpetration of two local-private-companies, exasperated by an investigative-article suggesting that the two local-private-companies were involved in a fraud-cycle in the course of the bidding process on Galkayo-Garowe road maintenance project.
Galkayo-Garowe road maintenance venture is supported by the European Union (EU) and Germany organization (GIZ). The allegation was published on Horseed Media website and also printed on the Horseed Magazine on 18th of November 2016.
On the 28th of November, Omar Dhere, who authored the piece was assaulted and received life-threatening phone calls, both incidents occurred in the same day according to Omar.
Most tender projects in Somalia are mainly influenced by the government officials who usually award tenders to their relatives or known persons and they take a share of the money involved in the project. This is one of the major reasons for poor quality of services witnessed in works of government and the construction of some NGO funded projects.
Horseed Media
