ADEN — Yemen's Public Prosecutor Judge Qaher Mustafa issued a decision on Saturday ordering a judicial committee to investigate corruption charges, illicit enrichment and other crimes attributed to Aidarous Qassem al-Zubaidi, and to take legal action in accordance with the law. The decision follows documented Yemeni reports accusing al-Zubaidi, a fugitive leader of the dissolved Southern Transitional Council, of involvement in large-scale illicit enrichment through abuse of power, land seizures, oil trading and commercial companies. The reports say these practices have fueled political and social divisions in southern provinces due to corruption and grievances. According to the reports, al-Zubaidi seized vast areas of land in Aden's Free Zone originally designated for warehouses serving the port of Aden. Land stretching from the Caltex Roundabout in Mansoura to the Al-Haswa station in Shaab was reportedly registered in the name of his brother-in-law, Jihad Al-Shawdhabi. The reports also allege the seizure of coastal land on Workers' Island belonging to the Aden Ports Authority, which was registered under Al-Shawdhabi's name and later subdivided and distributed among al-Zubaidi and close associates. The reports further state that al-Zubaidi took control of approximately 100 feddans in Bir Fadl, Aden, belonging to a northern Yemeni citizen identified as "Al-Dhafif," who was allegedly pressured and extorted to relinquish the land or enter a partnership to develop or sell it. Another 4,000 feddans in Ras Omran, Aden, were reportedly registered under the name of Mohammed Qassem al-Zubaidi. Additional charges include the seizure of a land transport yard in Sheikh Othman under a nominal lease paid to the state, while the beneficiary was said to be al-Zubaidi's office director, Imad Abu Al-Rijal. The reports also cite the seizure of around 1,000 feddans in Lahj province through intermediaries, the takeover of an engineering institute in Tawahi and adjacent land in Jabal Hail, as well as property belonging to the Yemen Oil Company in Khormaksar. Regarding the oil sector, the reports allege pressure on the Yemen Oil Company and its director, Tareq Al-Walidi, to block fuel imports except through a company linked to Al-Shawdhabi and Transport Minister Abdulsalam Humaid. For nearly two years, the reports say, fuel supplies were monopolized with profits flowing to al-Zubaidi. Shipments were also imported through Qena port in Shabwa for the benefit of al-Zubaidi and his associates. Yemeni journalist Fathi bin Lazraq, editor-in-chief of Aden Al-Ghad newspaper, published an extensive report alleging that the dissolved separatist council unlawfully collected at least 500 million Yemeni riyals from each fuel vessel entering Aden's oil port, initially charging 12 riyals per liter and later raising it to 25 riyals. During peak months, more than 20 fuel ships reportedly entered the port, generating an estimated 10 billion riyals monthly. Bin Lazraq said these transactions were conducted through "Isnad," a company he said is personally owned by al-Zubaidi. Bin Lazraq also alleged that trucks carrying fuel from Marib were charged 3 million riyals each, gas trucks 2 million riyals, and shipping containers up to 900,000 riyals depending on destination. He said these revenues, estimated at tens of billions of riyals monthly, could have covered much of the public sector wage bill but were instead deposited in private banks, converted into foreign currency and smuggled abroad, contributing directly to the collapse of the Yemeni rial.
