MP Hashed interpellates two Ministers

First interpellation in history of  Yemen Parliament

On 14th July, 2010, the Yemen House of Representatives held the first interpellation session in its history as the independent MP, Mr. Ahmed Saif Hashed, among other two MPs belonging to the ruling party, questioned the Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Affairs and Minister of Interior on security issues including
the death of 5 people belonging to Mr. Hashed’s constituency in the last year, two of them were killed by security forces and the other three murdered by known perpetrators, who have not been arrested yet.

However, Mr. Hashed made many requests to interpellate (question) both Ministers, the first was about a year ago, on July, 2009; his requests were neglected by the Speaker of the House and only approved on 6th July after launching hunger strike of 52 hours for the second time inside the Parliament.

During the questioning investigation, Mr. Hashed asked the House to withdraw the confidence from both Ministers being remained irresponsible to the mentioned case and did not submit real answers to the MPs questions, but the House voted to give them chance of 3 months to capture the killers. 

Explanation of Mr. Hashed’s interpellation to the Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Affairs and Minister of Interior

The House of Representatives, Yemen

Date: 14th July, 2010

Dear respected MPs and Ministers,

In reference to article No. (127) of the House rules, I would like to discuss the interpellation of the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs and Interior Minister, as follows:

- Killing three people belonging to my constituency, one of them is below 14 years old, on July 9, 2009, 12:30 P.M. The Alaskarea police station director Ahmed Abdulnasser Mohammed received the news regarding this criminal act, at 1:00 A.M, about an hour later, as he told me. who provided an evidence .

- The Interior Ministry was informed within an hour after the crime took place at about 1:30 A.M, according to an earlier statement by the Interior minister, spoken inside the house.

- If there had been a real and responsible security apparatuses (SA), the criminals would have been followed and easily arrested.

- The only survivor Yassen Hameed arrived at Alaskarea police station at about 7:45 A.M and asked for rescue, yet he was sent by bus without being secured.

- " I have only one military car (Takm) , I am death-threatened. It is only my tribe that can protect me. The government offered me an out-of-order military car", the director said.

- When I asked the director, four days after the crime on whether the convict Ali Saif Alabduli was there in the region, he replied" he (convict) was there in his old house located in Alshoha ,living with his father". I also asked why a military car or even a policeman was not sent to follow the criminals, he said" that is true but I have only one military car " I asked why do security apparatuses neglect a case like this, he replied angrily "this question should be directed towards the president of Yemen and Interior Minister ,who have underestimated security apparatuses .. this is truth.. I am not afraid of anyone..the local people of Alaskarea have more bombs and ammunition than me..my financial allocations do not exceed 40 thousands Y.R, which cannot even cover costs of stationery, tires, petrol and other sundries. Instead of giving me a million gunshots, they only let me have 500 gunshots. I am not afraid of being ousted"

- Dear members of parliament, this is an evidence for the great faults of the security apparatuses, absence of measures of following the criminals who committed a heinous crime against three innocent people, therefore, the security offices should be held accountable for such negligence. I have a footage on YouTube website showing the Alaskarea police station director reported speech I have mentioned above, which you can visit.

- Dear members, who is responsible for such a situation? ..undoubtedly, it is the deputy prime minister for security and defense affairs, Dr Rashad Alalimi, in the first place, then Interior Minister in the second one.

- The security committee , including the provincial security manager, in Lahej province, held a ten-hour long meeting, a few hours after committing the crime, but nothing practically was implemented and killers have not been arrested yet.

- Dear members, who is responsible for such negligence? Is it the local authority that works within framework of the ministry of local administration, headed by Dr Rashad Alalimi, being the first responsible for security and defense, followed by the Interior minister.

- When I held, along with my electoral constituency followers, a peaceful sit-in in front of Lahej governorate building, to demand an arrest of the criminals, we were encircled by seven military vehicles with heavily-armed soldiers of the central security and police. Why should such military power not be used to follow killers, instead of using it to suppress peaceful sit-ins?. The security apparatuses have not attempted, even for once, to follow these elements within first weeks of the incident. An evidence to this is present at the house; the parliament member, Khalid Shaif, from Radhfan District, who had earlier said in a conclave meeting attended by the parliament speaker, the prime minister, deputy prime minister for security and defense affairs and Interior minister. He said literally " I have asked, through a phone call, Habeel Jabre's security director why you not capture the killer. The director said that there were instructions by the province security manager to not arrest the killer"

- When I asked the MP, Khalid next day the same question, he replied as " I have given Habeel Jabre's security director a phone call, while the minister of youth was standing beside me, enquiring why have you not captured the non-chalant killer. He replied " we have no orders for an arrest". The Habeel Jabre's director have been replaced by an affiliate with killer's tribe"

- The MP, Khalid quoted Habeel Jabre's security director, having moved to Lahej to ask for an arrest support, as saying " I told them I need empowerment for killer's arrest, yet sooner had I reached the directorate than they ousted me, then I resigned"

Dear members, what does this mean..does it mean that security apparatuses neglect its duty or rather it is a conniver?

Not only confidence should be withdrawn out of these ministers, but also they should be questioned.

Another dubious matter is why security did not take any action or investigate on the criminals' exchange of phone calls at the night when they committed the crime, or to know the persons they were communicating with and whether there were any plans on the crime, and subsequently probe any suspects or involved persons, why all of this did not happen instead of spying on phone calls of politicians, journalists and human rights activists?

The security apparatuses did not even distribute photos for the criminals that can help arrest them, nor they directed sea or air outlets to prevent any potential travelling abroad, as these apparatuses did for journalists and human rights activists.

The Alwasat newspaper, after months of committing the crime, and News Yemen days after the crime as well, have published a statement by Habeel Jabre's sheikh Shakir Alabduli, saying that security apparatuses did not only follow suspects but also consider them as unwanted.

The issue of the Alqabbaita killed has been presented at the house of representatives on july12,2009 by us and others including Sultan Albarakani, head of General people congress' bloc, who suggested fixing a period of 48 hours to capture the criminals, otherwise confidence should be withdrawn from concerned ministers. An evidence for this is a tape recorded on July 12 2009, aired on Yemen Satellite Channel, now it is July 14 2010 one year has passed since fixing the capture period with the criminal not arrested.

This means that our duty- as representatives – is to do whatever can save face for the house, and least is to withdraw confidence from those ministers.

I have met the minister of Interior at the council of ministers a few weeks after the crime, asking him to fix a time, even if it is a year long, to capture the criminals, yet he refused to do so.. what are the reasons behind this and how can we feel safe in such a situation? Is there any responsible entity other than you both; the ministers?

Many witnesses confirm that the criminal walks non-chalantly among districts of Alaskarea, Habeel Jabre,Alhabelain and Abyan passing through police stations and soldiers without laying a finger on them. I can bring these witnesses to the house to say what they have.

The first and foremost culprit received his salary and bonus, which was mentioned in the report presented by the parliament committee, as well as the big sum of money he had after abducting an ambulance and committing the crime..what is the meaning of this and Why are killers and abductors rewarded while the representative of the killed Othoman Alqubati is also killed by security forces and there is no retribution, moreover, Sheikh Othoman blood representative's salary has been suspended for nine months. The main criminal, in an interview with Alomana Newspaper and in another unpublished one with the Yemen Times, stated that he got support from National and Political security..

Why was Alomana paper closed and kept in the military police prison, and why the criminals' claims were not understood?

The main culprit Ali Sayed Alobduli received, only a few months ago, two millions and a half Y.R from the businessman Tawfiq Abdulraheem to set the latter's oil truck free. The killer celebrated the occasion. The criminal also captured a lorry loaded with spare parts amounting fifty million Y.R months ago. The killer's influence gets stronger while security apparatuses get weaker. Who is responsible for this?

Why security forces did not follow the criminal instead of shutting down Almuntasser Secondary School in Habeel Jabre a month ago, threatening the teachers and students with death. The security and military authorities has responded to all of the criminal requests in this respect, while those of the murdered people relatives and public opinion; capturing killers' have not met yet.