DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Qatar’s public prosecutor has ordered the arrest of the finance minister, state-run media reports today, to question him over alleged abuse of power and misuse of public funds in the energy-rich state.
The Qatar News Agency doesn’t provide other details about the investigation, and the nature of the case against Ali Sharif al-Emadi, who has served finance minister since 2013, isn’t immediately clear. Al-Emadi rose to prominence in the Gulf Arab emirate of Qatar after overseeing the growth of Qatar National Bank for years.
The statement says authorities are investigating reported crimes related to his public role. Arrests of such high-ranking officials on suspicion of corruption are rare in Qatar.
Corruption remains rampant in Gulf Arab sheikhdoms flush with petrodollars and in the wider Middle East. In its 2020 corruption perceptions index, which surveys economic experts about the perceived level of public sector corruption, corruption watchdog Transparency International listed Qatar among the least corrupt in the region, with a score of 63 out of 100. The scale ranks countries between zero, which is “highly corrupt,” and 100, for “very clean.”
Qatar’s Finance Minister Ali Sharif Al Emadi listens during the third annual US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue at the State Department, September 14, 2020 in Washington. (Erin Scott/Pool via AP)
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
