Soldier slapped with death sentence for murdering a Minister

A Mogadishu court on Monday sentenced to death a soldier accused of killing public works and rehabilitation minister Abass Abdulahi Siraj early last month.

Military Court Chairperson, Col. Hassan Ali Nur ‘Shute’ said the court found the soldier Private Ahmed Abdullahi Abdi found guilty of shooting dead the minister deliberately.

“After listening to the hearing case of Abdi (29), a soldier, the court found him guilty of killing the minister of public works and reconstruction of government, Siraj, therefore the court sentenced him to a death penalty,” Shute said.

“Witnesses and evidences identified that the soldier fired two bullets and one of his gunfire shots hit on the head of the minister and killed him,” Shute said. The court ordered another soldier Osman Salad Bare to be freed.

The minister was the youngest among Somali government minister. This case has been going on since May 3 when the murder of the minister Siraj took place near the presidential area.