Mauritanian journalists Mohamed Amine Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh and Mohamed Yahya Mohamed Youssouf Mohamed Ahmed, known as Oussama, have made significant revelations to investigators regarding their involvement with blogger Sidi Kumash. According to their statements, they helped Sidi Kumash write and edit posts on his Facebook page. The journalists claimed they did not know the sources that provided Sidi Kumash with the information he published.
Mohamed Amine Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh, a journalist at Mauritania's national radio, admitted that Sidi Kumash would sometimes send him written posts and ask him to arrange them with a specific hashtag. He also acknowledged that he helped Sidi Kumash edit some posts during the presidency of Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. The journalist stated that he received two financial transfers from Sidi Kumash, one of 70,000 ouguiya and another of 20,000 ouguiya, for personal reasons.
Mohamed Yahya Mohamed Youssouf Mohamed Ahmed, known as Oussama, said he met Sidi Kumash on Facebook in 2023 and began communicating with him through messenger and WhatsApp. Oussama stated that Sidi Kumash would send him some posts and videos to edit and remove any artificial intelligence-related content. He claimed to have received two financial transfers from Sidi Kumash, one of 30,000 ouguiya and another of 40,000 ouguiya, which he attempted to return but was refused.
Both journalists denied having any knowledge of Sidi Kumash's sources or being involved in broadcasting or posting content related to him. They also claimed to have no relationship with other individuals implicated in the case, including Hafedh Loubed and Dhiaa El Hak. Oussama described Dhiaa El Hak as not being in-depth and having connections with certain individuals.
Oussama revealed that Sidi Kumash showed interest in drug-related issues and claimed that his brother's acquaintance, Bashir, provided him with information on these topics. He also mentioned that after a compromising video of a pilot officer was leaked, he faced attacks from some bloggers and heard that the officer's family sent large sums of money to Hafedh Loubed and Dhiaa El Hak to stop the attacks.
The journalists' statements provide new insights into the network surrounding Sidi Kumash and his online activities. Their admissions may have significant implications for the ongoing investigation into the case. Key points include the journalists' assistance to Sidi Kumash in writing and editing posts, their lack of knowledge about his sources, and their denial of involvement with other implicated individuals.
Key points
- The journalists received financial transfers from Sidi Kumash, with Mohamed Amine Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh receiving 90,000 ouguiya and Mohamed Yahya Mohamed Youssouf Mohamed Ahmed receiving 70,000 ouguiya.
