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Qatar’s finance minister has been arrested for fraud

Qatar’s finance minister has been arrested on charges of abuse of power and misappropriation of public funds, unprecedented by gas-fired Gulf authorities as part of a crackdown on justice and the threat of corruption.

A government prosecutor has opened an investigation into the abduction of Ali Sharif al-Emadi, according to state media.

Emadi, who took office eight years ago and is one of Gulf’s top officials, has not been convicted. The allegations relate to bribery and corporate corruption, a Doha spokesman said in a statement.

The study focuses on Emadi’s ministry, instead of former students at a former bank in the United States, he added. Emadi is a member of the Qatar Investment Authority, a state-funded portfolio of about $ 300bn of assets, and the chairman of Qatar National Bank, the country’s largest lender.

Qatar, run by the ruling al-Thani family, is one of the richest countries in the world and is set to take part in the World Cup next year. Sheikhdom, headquartered in the US military base, is a Gulf royal government that also supports Islamic religious groups during the 2010/11 Arab religion, which persecuted its neighbors.

Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, has made the fight against corruption a priority of his administration since his father arrested him in 2013. “Development can achieve its goals through good governance, law, anti-corruption and injustice,” he said. he said in a 2017 speech.

The arrests are “extremely unusual – former ministers who have resorted to bribery have not been granted arrest warrants,” said a West Doha observer. “She was not detained until she had completed her term – and she is kept secret.” Doha was outraged by the surprise Thursday, particularly since Emadi was a “strong link”, the observer said, even though the budget cuts make him unpopular.

The arrests come as emir prepares the country for elections that were delayed in October. Voting will be for the governing body acting as the legislature. Qatar also wanted to promote good leadership as it prepares for the World Cup. The country’s history has been affected by related cases chicks and employee harassment that is linked to participation in competitive sports.

Qatar is ranked 30th in Transparency International’s 2020 anti-corruption agenda, bound by the Bahamas and ahead of Spain. The only country in the Middle East that is considered the worst is the United Arab Emirates.

Transparency brought to light government views during trade and anti-Qatar movements led by Saudi Arabia in 2017, which was changed in January. “The government is determined to take action to address these serious issues,” he said.


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