Local media reports state that a Turkish court fined Somalia’s president’s son less than $1,000 on Tuesday for accidentally running over and killing a delivery man in Istanbul.
The court found that Mohammed, the son of Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, was at fault when his automobile struck the victim’s vehicle on November 30, resulting in the death of the motorbike delivery worker.
Yunus Emre Gocer, a father of two children, died in hospital six days later.
When Turkish prosecutors learned that Somalia’s president’s son had left the country after the incident, they applied for an international arrest warrant.
His departure infuriated Turkey’s opposition media, which claimed that the government was shielding the president’s son from punishment in order to preserve good relations with its significant African ally.
An Istanbul court sentenced the defendant to two years and six months in prison, which can be turned into a fine of 27,300 lira ($900), according to a private NTV channel.
Turkish prosecutors had sought a prison sentence up to six years.
Mohammed had reportedly returned to Istanbul to testify in the case, according to Turkey’s pro-government media, however it was initially unclear if he was in court when the decision was made.
Turkey and Somalia have maintained close diplomatic relations during the last ten years. Turkey is the nation’s most important economic ally in the Horn of Africa, especially when it comes to construction, healthcare, and education.
The two countries also enjoy close military ties.