Audio By Carbonatix
A Somali military court has sentenced a revenue officer to death for the murder of a man following a dispute over a 5,000 Somali-shilling ($9; £7) tax, state TV says.
Qasim Duale Abdi shot dead businessman Abubakar Mohamed Nourani, 65, last week in the Hamarweyne district of the capital Mogadishu in front of dozens of onlookers for failing to pay the $9, state prosecutors told the court on Sunday.
The killing sent shockwaves throughout the country and among Somalis online, with even President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud intervening to call for justice for the victim.
The case was heard and concluded in one session on 15 January.
Mr Nourani's family and friends thanked the court for the death sentence, saying they were satisfied with how security and judicial services handled the case.
The prosecution told the court that the victim’s business was so small it did not meet the threshold to pay tax, saying the convict was part of an extortion racket in Mogadishu.
The court ruled that the tax officer “deliberately killed the victim”.
The death penalty is legal in Somalia and executions for crimes such as murder are common in the country.
Latest Stories
-
Government has improved sanitation in one-and-a-half years — Salaga South MP
28 minutes -
Nkwanta North Assembly to appear before Parliament over DACF sanitation spending
40 minutes -
Mourinho prints out ‘red card’ incidents after Real lose derby
1 hour -
Atletico beat 10-man Real in feisty Madrid derby
1 hour -
Twelve Tribes of Israel Ghana to mark 40 years with anniversary celebration
2 hours -
GPL 2026/27: Hearts held by Bechem as Kotoko, Samartex share spoils
2 hours -
My Story (Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako)
2 hours -
We expect growth rate to re-accelerate in second-half of 2026 – IC Insights
2 hours -
The ungodliness and unrighteousness underlying the National Cathedral mess!
2 hours -
T-bills auction: Government fails to achieve target; yield on 91-day-bill remains unchanged
3 hours -
It’s Ghana’s shame to denigrate Nkrumah when the whole world honours him as African of the Century – Asiedu Nketiah
3 hours -
No other nationalist can compare to Nkrumah – Asiedu Nketiah
3 hours -
Collateral Registry: Foreign banks accounted for GH¢19.9bn of secured credit in quarter 2, 2026
3 hours -
This government should expect scrutiny – Asiedu Nketiah
3 hours -
Two-year-old girl dies in domestic fire at Cantonments
4 hours