Omar Faruk Osman, a man who claims as the leader of the National Union of Somali Journalists has escaped from a court case, charging him of corruption and masterminding killings against journalists.

A court in Somalia’s capital; Mogadishu, has summoned Mr. Osman to appear in court on  Wednesday but he failed to show up and immediately escaped from the country, using bribe to pass airport security and immigration officers , who were pre-informed by the Mogadishu regional court not to allow him, to leave the country  until the case against him is decided.

On 29th January, 2011, The supreme council of NOSUJ  comprising of members of the Executive committee and representative delegates from the respective regions of south and central Somalia regions and Puntland, had a meeting in Mogadishu in which they accused their Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman of Allegations they levelled as “beyond manageable”

During the meeting held in Mogadishu, a document carrying evidences signed by 13 members of the media group’s Supreme Council was disclosed. The document carried a list of names and money as shown up given to the right beneficiaries, but according to the attendants of the meeting an investigation done by the group shows that none of the journalists and families had received the funds.

The group immediately sacked The Secretary General of the union, Omar Faruk Osman and the president of the Supreme Council Abdirisaq Omar Ismail, inline with the article seven of their organizational constitution, which underlines more than 10 members of the Supreme Council, can decide the removals of the top leaders.

They accused both men of extreme fraud and embezzlement of money obtained from the International Federation of Journalists’ (IFJ) Safety Fund and other donors intended to wounded journalists and the families of killed journalists, following 2009 Shamo Hotel bombing in Mogadishu

They also face accusations of stealing grants meant for widows and orphans of killed colleague journalists since 2007.

According to court officials members of NOSUJ Supreme Council and other journalists based in Mogadishu along with relatives and family members of killed journalists have submitted the case against Osman, accusing him of involving killings against journalists and stealing cash donations from the international media supporting organizations meant to Somali media.

Osman, a Somali British  holder, went to Mogadishu earlier last week, where he held a false and misleading election attended by dozens of  paid hand-picked mainly ordinary individuals, whom he described as journalists, a move that had extremely angered and forced journalists in Mogadishu, including his former close  aides, to bring the case against him to court.

Corrupt Osman crossed the finish line of so-called election in Mogadishu carrying the albatross of genocidal crimes coupled with violation of journalists’ rights on his neck.

There is no need to repeat the mantra of his heinous crimes but it is important to note his all too familiar habit to deceive the international community, this time to declare that he won the Secretary General of NOSUJ through systematic and artificial event. All he wants is saying to the international community: close your eyes; I will arrange my own forgery documents with photos showing dates and slogans of half an hour general assembly in Mogadishu and ratification of my re-election, count false votes on my papers and then give you the results for your confirmation without asking for any clarification whatsoever.

Ridiculous!!!! The human rights defenders and international organizations that support journalists are turning blind eye of Osman’s long plan of holding Somali journalists as hostages, using their donations to enjoy in luxury hotels, to be friend with particular foreign individuals, who allegedly receive a cut of the Somali journalists’ stolen money, who in return advocate him at the international forums.

But such story is over within the Somali journalists working in one of the most dangerous terrains in the world. They woke up. They show solidarity and would not accept any more dictation and false representation. There is a Somali saying, “He who steals a trumpet needs where to blow out” another one says “You can lead a horse to water but you can not make it drink”

The previous silent majority of the Somali journalists and the officials of the Transitional Government and other regional authorities are neither fooled nor surprised by the childish comedy acted by Mr. Osman. It was well known in advance. The brutal man shall be ripped apart by his own inner contradictions. He made a colossal mistake by coming to Mogadishu and doing a systematic falsification of an event thereby digging his own grave on which a strong, united, democratic and free Somali media shall be

The event was the most ridiculous of all that was heard about Osman by Somali journalists, who with out knowing the repercussion, gave him a platform of enjoying leadership through lack of a meaningful opposition; lack of accountability, competition and no transparency. But the big question mark hangs over, why foreign media organizations and some foreign embassies continue to support such unfair and corrupt leader. Those supporting him should be held accountable.

But one thing is for sure, the days of the remaining world dictators are numbering and each will finally soon take the bitter road of  Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

By Mohamed Hassan

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