Qatar Finance Minister Collared Over Abuse Of Power, Funds Misuse Claims

Qatar's Finance Minister has been arrested for alleged abuse of power and misuse of public funds. He has been stripped of his duties, Reuters reported Friday.

The country's ruling emir said he had relieved Ali Sherif al-Emadi of his office and given his job to current Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ali Al Kuwari, an announcement released hours after al-Emadi's arrest was made public, said.

Al-Emadi's detention is a rare move that political analysts said could set the stage for a larger campaign to increase transparency and weed out corruption.

Al-Emadi had been the state finance minister since 2013 and sat on the board of the sheikhdom's $300 billion sovereign wealth fund, according to the Qatar Investment Authority.

Al-Emadi rose to prominence as the current emir ascended the throne and after overseeing the transformation of Qatar National Bank into the largest lender in the Middle East.

One of Qatar's most influential public figures, al-Emadi also served as chairperson of Qatar National Bank - the biggest bank in the Middle East and Africa - and as president of the executive board of airline company Qatar Airways.

"The attorney general has ordered the arrest of Minister of Finance Ali Sharif al-Emadi, and his questioning about matters raised in the reports regarding crimes pertaining to public office," Qatar News Agency reported.

The arrest of al-Emadi was unusual, because accusations of criminal conduct by high-ranking government officials or members of ruling families in the Gulf are commonly addressed behind closed doors.

Corruption remains prevalent in Gulf Arab sheikhdoms. In its 2020 corruption perceptions index, corruption watchdog Transparency International listed Qatar among the least corrupt in the region, with a score of 63 out of 100.