$12 million to fund online newspaper reveals Aden gov’t’s corruption

ADEN, Oct. 30 (YPA) – Human rights activists from Aden and the southern provinces have circulated shocking figures revealing the extent of corruption and financial waste in the budget of the so-called “Ministry of Information” of the coalition-backed Aden government.

Leaked figures indicated that the monthly budget of the so-called Riyadh-based “Electronic Revolution” newspaper, exceeded one million US dollars, totaling almost 20 billion Yemeni riyals annually.

Activists pointed out that these enormous sums are divided between the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Sam al-Ghabari, and the Minister of Information, Muammar al-Iryani, in addition to the vast sums spent on what they described as their “electronic flies” (online trolls).

These figures sparked widespread anger, especially given the months-long interruption of salaries for employees in Aden and the southern provinces.

The activists compared the newspaper’s budget with the annual budget of the Institute of Administrative Sciences in Aden, which does not exceed 820,000 Yemeni riyals, asserting that this disparity revealed “rampant financial corruption” in the disbursement of funds to entities outside the country.

AA