Documented: The Yemeni government is drowning Aden with debts… (60) million Kuwaiti dollars loan to rehabilitate Yemeni colleges

Yemeni government documents and sources revealed the latest and largest corruption case, in which the head of the partnership government (Riyadh Agreement), Maeen Abdul Malik, who enjoys Saudi support, is accused of flooding Aden, which means in the future that the Southern Transitional Council, any future political authority in the south, will bear these loans, which government and parliamentary documents considered to be contrary to the law.

In the details, a senior government source told Alyoum8th newspaper that Maeen Abdul Malik – head of the troubled Riyadh Agreement government – is involved in a major corruption case, represented in directives to implement a tender contrary to the law, in favor of a contractor (who does not meet the conditions), to furnish 6 colleges, which do not have any presence on the ground.

The source said that Maeen Abdulmalik received "a fantastic loan of $60 million in debt with profits, with the aim of restoring colleges that do not exist on the ground in the south, some in Yemeni areas ruled by the Houthis."

The documents showed the objection of the speaker of parliament, the minister of higher education and scientific research and the minister of finance, to the actions of Prime Minister Maeen Abdul Malik, and these documents included "the speed of taking quick measures to address this issue."

Government sources in Maashiq Palace confirmed that Maeen Abdul Malik, refused to deal with a memorandum sent by Parliament Speaker Sultan Al-Barakani – obtained by Alyoum8th newspaper a copy of it – the source described the Prime Minister's handling of that memorandum with great disdain.

The source said that Maeen Abdulmalik responded orally to al-Barakani's memorandum that it was issued by a "legislative council that has no authority", referring to the end of the term of the Yemeni parliament about a decade ago.

Regarding the Kuwaiti loan, the source said that a close associate of the prime minister, Walid al-Abbasi, is responsible for what was known as the tender analysis committee, while the contractor is a company owned by Maeen Abdul Malik and other partners from the city of Taiz, and that the contractor on the rehabilitation project of 12 community colleges, some of which are under the control of the pro-Iranian Houthis, will receive 30% of the value of the loan estimated at 60 million US dollars.

Another government source told Alyoum8th newspaper that Maeen Abdul Malik committed legal violations regarding the disposal of a fake Kuwaiti loan disposed of by those close to the prime minister formed under the troubled Riyadh Agreement.

A source in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research said that the Kuwaiti loan aims to finance a project to equip (12) community colleges in the southern governorates and others in governorates, most of which are under the control of the pro-Iranian Houthis, but what is striking in the document of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the project includes the employment of dozens of employees in those colleges, which means that the goal is to "Yemenize the public office"; at a time when southerners say that there are attempts to Yemenize the job at the expense of the southern employee.

The first documents obtained by "Alyoum8th" were a memorandum issued by the Speaker of the Yemeni Parliament, Sultan Al-Barakani, addressed to Maeen Abdul Malik, dated March 22, 2023 AD: "Brother Dr. Maeen Abdul Malik Saeed, Prime Minister (Yemeni government), subject of the international tender No. (1/23-MHE/KFAED) for equipping 12 community colleges in the Republic of Yemen, funded by the Kuwait Fund for Development, for the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technical and Vocational Training."

Al-Barakani stressed in his letter that "he received complaints from several parties, that the tender referred to is international and competitive from all companies specialized in this field, but those in charge of the tender limited it to three companies exclusively in the second and third group and in full coordination, and this is contrary to the Tenders and Auctions Law, and that the specifications were designed on a specific company."

Al-Barakani added in his message: "The tender was not processed through a specialized studies company to know the needs of the technical and technical side in community colleges and determine the need already, especially with the rapid development of this aspect, and it was not presented to the Supreme Tender Committee and did not approve it and did not form a committee of the competent concerned authorities as legally specified.

The speaker of the Yemeni parliament indicated that the deal, which was acquired by a resistance company affiliated with Maeen Abdul Malik, announced equipment that is not necessary and is very expensive and cannot be used in rural areas.

Al-Barakani directed Maeen Abdul Malik to review and take the necessary measures to stop the violation, as the aforementioned tender is an international tender that must be implemented in accordance with the law, completing the procedures from all aspects and using foreign funding properly in accordance with the objectives for which it was allocated.

The second document stated the observations of the Ministry of Finance on the memorandum of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technical and Vocational Training regarding the international tender for the project of equipping (12) community colleges in the Republic of Yemen, financing the Kuwait Fund for Economic Development, loan No. (887).

The Ministry of Finance demanded to stop the loan, indicating that the targeted colleges with twelve (12) colleges, four (4) colleges located under the control of the coup authorities (Houthis), or with a military contact line (Eng. Omran M. Hajjah - Abs Taiz – Shara'ab - Al-Qubaita Taiz). Four community colleges in non-governmental buildings, but rented buildings, which are not fixed and not prepared according to studies and plans to accommodate equipment, namely: Socotra, Taiz, Al- Dhalea, Al-Shihr, and Seiyun."

The Ministry of Finance document confirmed that "the Community College in Al-Qubaita was destroyed, and the displaced from the war reside in the Community College in Marib Governorate, and there is no academic, administrative and technical staff to meet the needs of the targeted community colleges."

She pointed out that the current programs and curricula of community colleges need to be developed and modernized, as well as the lack of prefabricated buildings in those colleges, and the inability to receive modern equipment will affect the project implementation plan. The question that arises is why supply and infrastructure are completely non-existent, and in light of difficult economic conditions at an exceptional stage that the Yemeni government will not be able to meet."

The Ministry of Finance considered in the document signed by Minister Salem Saleh bin Brik to continue supplying devices and equipment and the existence of colleges ready to absorb the loan after waste and waste of the loan and public money, especially since the conditions that the country is going through economically do not fit at all with the total requirements necessary for those colleges to absorb the loan. Therefore, the tender must be stopped permanently until better conditions are looted."

In another document, the Supreme National Anti-Corruption Commission in the capital Aden announced the suspension of tender procedures for equipping "12" community colleges in Yemen funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, following corruption and violations of the law that affected the tender worth about $ 60 million.

The decision issued by His Eminence Judge / Afrah Saleh Badwilan, Chairman of the Supreme National Anti-Corruption Authority, ordered the Authority to implement all necessary legal procedures to cancel or terminate any agreement or contract on the tender to which the State is a party, and to investigate the procedures that violate the provisions of the laws and harm the public interest.

Documents issued by the House of Representatives, the Council of Ministers and government technical committees revealed serious irregularities and corruption in the tender to equip "12" community colleges in Yemen with Kuwaiti funding.

The decision of the Supreme National Anti-Corruption Authority came in a memorandum sent by His Eminence Judge / Afrah Saleh Badweilan on December 31, 2023 to the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technical Education, Dr. Khaled Ahmed Al-Wasabi.

It stated: "Suspension of tender procedures No. (23/1 - MHE/KFAED) Loan No. (887) financing the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development regarding the equipping of (12) community colleges in the Republic of Yemen.

With reference to the above subject, the Supreme National Anti-Corruption Authority received a communication registered with the Authority No. (12) of 2023 dated 25/7/2023 regarding irregularities in the above tender according to what was stated in the memorandum of the Speaker of the House of Representatives No. (31-2023) dated 22/2/2023 addressed to the Prime Minister, the memorandum of the Ministry of Finance No. (10/991) dated 6/8/2023 submitted by the Prime Minister with observations on the tender, and the report of the technical committee for studying the tender documents sent to you by the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers in memorandum No. (184/AMW). And the date of 29/5/2023 AD, as well as the report of the technical expert in the Tender Committee, Eng. Rami Muhammad Abdul Alim Alwan, dated 2/3/2023 AD, regarding the project of equipping (12) community colleges in the Republic of Yemen with an amount of (17,600,000) Kuwaiti dinars, equivalent to approximately (56,850,000) US dollars loan Kuwait Fund for Economic Development, and you have been addressed by memorandum No. (116) dated 16/10/2023 AD to provide us with a true copy of the tender, but you have not provided us with any response so far, Based on the text of Article (97) of Presidential Decree No. (19) of 2010 on the executive regulations of the Anti-Corruption Law, which states: (The Authority shall initiate all necessary legal procedures to cancel or rescind any agreement or contract to which the State is a party, or withdraw a concession or other commitments if it is found through review and examination that it was concluded in violation of the provisions of laws and harms the public interest).

Accordingly: The above-mentioned tender procedures shall be suspended until the legal disposal procedures for the communication are completed, and your legal representative shall be required to come to the Authority to hear your statements in the submitted communication."

For eight years, the Yemeni government has been seeking to bring in a lot of loans to support fake projects, which may constitute one of the most prominent obstacles to the future southern government, if it prefers solutions to grant the south autonomy at least, in light of the presence of other projects, including the settlement of displaced Yemenis in the cities of the south, as one of the most prominent obstacles that may face the Southern Transitional Council in the future.