Aden Authorities Freeze Leadership of Housing Cooperative Union Over Financial Irregularities

Authorities in Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen, have issued an urgent administrative decree suspending the president and several senior officials of the Cooperative Housing Associations Union amid allegations of financial and administrative violations. The case files have been referred to the Public Funds Prosecution Office for formal investigation.

The decision, based on a report from the Central Auditing and Accounting Apparatus—Aden branch, and directives from local authority leadership, specifically targets the union's president, Jabal Radfan, the financial director, the president's office manager, and all individuals named in the oversight report. Administrative Decree No. (4) of 2026 prohibits these individuals from performing any administrative, financial, or representative duties for the union pending the conclusion of investigations and a final judicial ruling.

The decree mandates the immediate referral of the complete file of irregularities, including all supporting documentation, to the competent authorities to commence legal accountability and investigation procedures. It also requires the suspended union president to formally hand over all documents, records, assets, properties, and the official seal to the Ministry's office, documented via an official inventory and handover report in accordance with established legal protocols.

Furthermore, the Ministry directed its legal committee and the Associations Department to oversee the rectification of the union's legal, organizational, and financial standing, including making preparations for a general assembly conference within three months. This preparatory work is intended to pave the way for the election of a new executive leadership, adhering to the provisions of the Cooperative Societies and Unions Law No. 39 of 1998.

The decision confirms that these measures are effective immediately upon issuance, obligating all relevant entities to enforce compliance to safeguard public funds and ensure adherence to legal statutes.