Somalia, 10 October 2025 – The Banadir Regional Court yesterday concluded hearings of a case involving four suspects, three of whom were absent, accused of financing Al-Shabaab and laundering money amounting to $12,862,710 between 2016 and 2025.
The key suspects in the case that has attracted public interest both locally and abroad are;
· Samatar Dahir Ahmed(absent)
· Hassan Adan Abdulle(absent)
· Hassan Mohamed Ibrahim (absent)
· Maryan Mohamed Nur (present)
During the hearings, the National Attorney General’s office revealed that the charges against Maryan commenced in 2016, accusing her of being an intermediary in a network involved in financing Al-Shabaab and money laundering. The charges presented in court include having five different accounts through which millions of dollars passed.
However, Maryan defended herself, claiming that the funds came from investments she made in Forex dealings.
The Attorney General’s office also revealed that Maryan converted the illicit funds into land, a common tactic used by money launderers to evade detection.
According to the indictment, the funds that passed through Maryan’s accounts were allegedly from Hasan Aadan Abdulle, Hasan Mahamed Ibrahim, and Samatar Daahir, all of whom are accused of being part of a syndicateresponsible for financing and laundering money for Al-Shabaab.
Maryan, who had been released on bail, allegedly changed phone numbers she had previously used, a nove she blamed on the telecom companies that provided the service.
Some of the charges against Maryan are linked to other suspects who had already been convicted by the court.
One of the defense lawyers for the four suspects stated that Hasan Mahamed Ibrahim, who is 71 years old, missed parts of the hearings due to health concerns. He argued that the Attorney General’s office had not provided information of his whereabouts, or even confirmed if he was alive or dead.
The Chairman of the Banadir Regional Court, Salah Ali Mahamud Dabaan, who closed the hearings of the case, stated that the court would issue a ruling soon.