Allegations Mount Against Ibb Public Works Director Amid Corruption Claims

Accusations of systemic corruption involving billions of Riyals and severe tampering with the general urban plan have intensified against Ibrahim Al-Shami, the Director of the Public Works and Roads Office in Ibb Governorate, who was appointed by the Houthi militia. Citizens and employees report that these practices have negatively impacted private properties and public facilities.

Several citizens, speaking uniformly to Khabar Agency, stated that measures executed under the guise of implementing the general plan have transformed into mechanisms for encroaching upon private property and imposing financial obligations without transparency or declared legal justification.

They asserted that building violations and encroachments within public streets and facilities are being handled selectively. The majority of violations are allegedly ignored in exchange for bribes amounting to millions of Riyals and informal settlements, whereas procedures are strictly enforced against other cases.

Furthermore, employees within the Public Works Office, who requested anonymity, indicated that the approval of certain violations occurs via verbal directives from Al-Shami, bypassing formal written decisions, thereby enabling the circumvention of established administrative procedures.

These sources noted that branch managers are held responsible when violations are exposed to public scrutiny, only to be subsequently reassigned to different positions later.

Complaints also included significant delays in disbursing financial entitlements to both permanent and contracted employees, accompanied by a lack of official clarification regarding the mechanism for collecting fees and fines, and how those revenues are being spent.

Local observers contend that a city's general plan is intended to be an urban planning instrument that ensures equity and safeguards private ownership and the public interest. They stressed that any selective or non-transparent implementation undermines institutional trust and threatens social cohesion.