Somalia’s first president saw rampant corruption among its MPs

Evidence

Osman was so astounded by the irresponsibility of so many politicians that he compared the enterprise to a brothel, as everything was for sale and nothing was sacrosanct. He cherished the words of wisdom cabled a few days earlier by Naser Nahar, from Hargeisa: “Honesty is the best policy.” — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 1361