the Comorian Minister of Foreign Affairs suspected of massive social benefits fraud

It is a case that is bad for the Comoros, while the country is in full arm wrestling with France around the issue of migrants in Mayotte. According to a report by Reunion Island’s Family Allowance Fund (CAF), Dhoihir Dhoulkamal, the Comorian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his wife have received more than 200,000 euros in family allowances and RSA these five last years.

“Such fraud is almost unheard of in my career”, confides to franceinfo a CAF agent who does not exclude a larger scale fraud since the limitation period is set at five years. The Family Allowance Fund did not investigate previous years.

How is such fraud possible?

Resident in Reunion, the wife of the head of Comorian diplomacy has never declared her husband’s income. The latter was however a deputy before becoming a minister in 2020. She was thus able to receive school allowances, Christmas bonuses and other social benefits for years. The investigation by the Saint-Denis de La Réunion prosecutor’s office is over. Prosecutor Véronique Denizot tells franceinfo that she is considering legal action. But they have little chance of succeeding, because the Comorian minister is covered by his diplomatic immunity.

In addition, the General Social Security Fund has also filed a complaint against Minister Dhoihir Dhoulkamal. He is suspected of having improperly benefited from medical care covered by Complémentaire santé solidaire (CMU). This aid for health expenses is granted to households with low incomes.