Traditional court looses public confidence
By Ali Ismael Mohamed –Puntland
A
case in the traditional court recently has led to widespread
public criticism of the traditional court system.
Saed Abdulahi, 43 accused his ex wife Sa’diya in the Traditional
Court, Saed
said that she doesn’t let him to visit his three children.
Sa’diya denied his accusation and told the court that he had
earlier traveled abroad on a scholarship and had been away for
six years.
Immediately, after he come back home he divorced her
and
left for Galkayo, 700 kilometers from Bosaso.
She
said he stayed in Galkayo for two years without visiting his
children, or sending them anything (money for food, clothing,
education) neither did ever look after them -- not even sending
them a little gifts.
Saed denied the issue and said “I want my children. And I want
to visit them any
time I like.”
The
court made the following judgment:
Saed will take the children and look after them.
He
must pay $2000 as penalty for not feeding his
children two years.
Sa’diya will visit her children whenever she wants.
At
the end of the court trial a commission established to finalize
the case.
But
soon after trial all the three children
aged seven, six, and five years respectively ran away from their
father.
“Our father did not care for us most of the time, so how can we
live away from
Mother?”. They said.
As
a result of this ruling many people have criticized the
traditional courts.