A United Nations report obtained by VOA said Somalia's transitional government is so deeply corrupt that it is essentially ruled by a popular Somali phrase - "What's in it for me?"
Highlights of Report by UN Monitoring Group on Somalia, Eritrea
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Corruption in Somali transitional government "pervasive"
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Somali leaders trying to "derail" transition to new government
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70% of government revenue went missing in 2009-2010
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Al-Shabab still major threat, but group's strength, unity eroding
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Somali government shielding "pirate kingpin"
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Yemen principal arms market for non-state groups
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Government, militias block access to refugee camps to divert aid
The
U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea suggested rampant theft of public funds is behind efforts by some political leaders to "hijack or derail" the ongoing transition process.
The mandate for the U.N.-backed government is due to end in August. Most of the government's funding comes from the U.N., United States and European Union.
The report said 70 percent of money donated never made it into public coffers in 2009 and 2010.
It said that in 2011, nearly one-quarter ($12 million) of all government expenditures were "absorbed" by the offices of president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, prime minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sharif Adan.
The office of the prime minister rejected the allegations as "absolutely and demonstrably false."