Hadhramaut Executive Office denounces Al-Bahsani’s interventions, and Bin Madi warns against tampering with local authority

Political tensions escalated in Hadhramaut Governorate between Presidential Leadership Council member Major General Faraj Salmeen Al-Bahsani and Hadhramaut Governor Mabkhout bin Madi, following measures taken by Al-Bahsani that affected a number of general managers in the local authority, which prompted the executive office in the governorate to hold an extraordinary meeting on Thursday evening in the city of Mukalla, headed by the Secretary-General of the Local Council, Saleh Abboud Al-Omqi, to discuss the latest developments.

In a strongly worded statement, the Executive Office condemned what it described as “arbitrary measures” taken by Al-Bahsani outside the framework of the system and the law, expressing its regret for such interventions, which it said impede the work of the local authority and weaken its administrative and service performance.

The statement stressed that the continuation of these interventions without coordination with the governorate leadership makes it difficult for the Executive Office to perform its duties, calling on the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, and the brothers in the Arab coalition, represented by Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, to intervene urgently to put an end to what it described as "irresponsible actions", and to enable the local authority to work without any external interference.

The Executive Office stressed the local authority's readiness to submit to any governmental or regulatory accountability, affirming its keenness to adhere to the laws and regulations in force, in a clear indication of the rejection of any violations that affect its administrative powers.

The escalation of tension between Presidential Leadership Council member Major General Faraj Salmeen Al-Bahsani and Hadhramaut Governor Mabkhout bin Madi comes amid a series of political and administrative developments that the governorate has witnessed over the past weeks.

Earlier on Thursday, Al-Bahsani sparked controversy after praising the efforts of PetroMasila despite its name being included in an official report accusing it of corruption and transferring $1.2 billion to foreign accounts, one of the biggest corruption cases recently uncovered by the Presidential Leadership Council.

It was noteworthy that his praise came during his meeting with the company’s director, ignoring the report that was supposed to lead to investigations and accountability instead of blessing.

Hours after the meeting, Al-Bahsani announced that he had “accidentally” discovered a pipeline used to smuggle oil from the port of Dabbah to an illegal, primitive refinery, raising questions about the timing and nature of this discovery, especially since it came after his meeting with the leadership of the company accused of corruption.