MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Former speaker of Somalia’s parliament Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Osman on Tuesday confirmed the defection of his driver to the Al-Qaeda-aligned militant group Al-Shabaab.
The official said he was shocked by the news of his driver’s defection, whose interview with media affiliated with militants, had been circulated on social media over the past days.
The man told Al-Shabaab-affiliated radio that fears for his personal security and insufficient pay were behind his defection.
In an interview with VOA Somali, Mursal stressed that the man had been trained as a driver of US-donated military vehicles, before he was transferred to his office.
Asked about whether the man was involved in a recent complex attack targeting a hotel next to the presidential palace and fled as a result, the former speaker said he was waiting for the findings of an investigation by security agencies.
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