UAE army whistleblower 'missing' after exposing military corruption

Colonel Mohammed Saeed al-Zaabi was detained for revealing compromising information on the Gulf state’s military, following in the footsteps of his father who was arrested for similar reasons.

The officer shared details of his father Colonel Dr. Saeed Al Zaabi’s case prior to his own arrest in an audio recording which he said would be released in the event of his capture, according to local Emirates 71.

According to the 30-minute recording which can be found on YouTube, al-Zaabi said would be heading to Barza Sea Palace to meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed to reveal details of corruption within the UAE’s army. However, the colonel was arrested before he could arrive.

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The colonel, whose whereabouts are not yet known, added: "I will record this information, and if I am arrested or reported missing, the recording will be exposed directly to the public fo reveal the reasons why.”

He says his father served in his country's army for 30 years before being arrested for allegedly fabricating "corruption charges".

The colonel went on to claim those behind his father's imprisonment are the chief of staff of the UAE armed forces, Lt. Gen. Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, and Brigadier General Haqouqi Salem Al Kaabi, director of the military justice and the military prosecutor general.

Al-Zaabi described the two personalities as "corrupt and dark, and made great embezzlement and looting of state funds," amid indifference from the UAE presidency.

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He added: "I tried to reach the council of ministers, the national council, the presidential court, the crown prince and the office of the ruler of Dubai and the Sharjah Court, until I reached the ministry of defence, where I was labelled a terrorist and intimidated because of my exposing of corruption.”

The colonel said his father, before being ousted from the post of head of the UAE Army Works Department, revealed "significant embezzlement within the army and managed to return large funds to the state treasury.”

Al-Zaabi accused the country’s chairman of the general staff of approving billions of dollars worth of projects “without contracts” which in turn elongate the development process from one year to ten years, he said. “When my father exposed that, he was arrested,” he added.

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