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Qatar’s finance minister was arrested in a rare crackdown

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Qatar’s finance minister has been arrested for questioning allegations of abuse of power and misuse of public funds in an unprecedented move as part of an effort by the Gulf state authorities with rich gas to promote transparency and curb corruption.

The prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into allegations of injustice made by Ali Sharif al-Emadi, according to a document released by the state news agency.

Emadi, who took office eight years ago and is one of the top officials in the Gulf state, has not been indicted. The allegations are related to bribery and commissions related to government contracts, a Doha official said in an investigation.

The investigation focuses on Emadi’s ministerial behavior, rather than other positions in the former U.S.-educated bankers, the person added. Emadi is also a board member of Qatar’s Investment Authority, an influential state sovereign estate that manages assets worth about $ 300 billion, and is president of the National Bank of Qatar, the country’s largest lender.

Qatar, run by the al-Thani government family, is one of the richest countries in the world and will host the World Cup next year. The sheikhdom, which has its U.S. military headquarters, is a Gulf monarchy that nevertheless supports Islamist pro-democracy movements in the 2010/11 Arab uprisings, condemning its neighbors.

The Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, has made the fight against corruption a topic of his tenure since his father abdicated in 2013. “Development can only achieve its goals through good governance, the rule of law, corruption and the fight against injustice.” he said at the 2017 conference.

The arrest is “very unusual – previous ministers persecuted for corruption have never been ordered to be arrested,” a Western Doha observer said. “They weren’t harassed until the end of their term – and it was always kept secret.” Doha was on the news with tremendous news on Thursday, mainly because Emadi was “closely linked,” the observer said, although budget cuts have made it unusual.

The arrest comes as the emir prepares the country for the long-delayed elections in October. The questionnaire will be for an advisory body acting as a parliamentary delegation. Qatar has also sought to promote better governance, as it is ready to host the World Cup. The country’s reputation has been affected by allegations bribery and employee abuse related to the organization of a football tournament.

Qatar ranks 30th in Transparency International’s 2020 corruption detection index, tied with the Bahamas and ahead of Spain. The only country in the Middle East that is seen as ruined is the United Arab Emirates.

Transparency raised the state’s agenda in the 2017 anti-Qatar trade and travel embargo against Saudi Arabia, which was resolved in January. The person who reported the investigation said the government will act more openly in the management of these high-level cases.

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