SANA’A, April 18 — The preparatory committee of the Disabled Care and Rehabilitation Fund (DCRF) staff condemns the phone call death threats against the staff made in reaction to their demonstrations demanding the dismissal of their manager on grounds of corruption, Abdullah Al-Hamdani.

The Criminal Investigation office’s representative, Major Mosleh Al-Omaisi, threatened in public that he would send Shawqi Al-Maqtari, a lawyer at DCRF, to prison, according to a statement by the preparatory committee.

On the other side, it condemned threats to send staff members to prison if they continue demonstrating for the DCRF manager’s dismissal.

The statement also condemned the death threats by telephone against Najeeb Al-Qadasi, a social researcher at DCRF. The death threats were intended to make an example of Al-Qadasi to the rest of his colleagues at DCRF.

“The Minister of Interior and the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor are responsible for the safety of the DCRF’s staff, according to the preparatory committee,” reads the statement.

A ministerial committee headed by Jawhra Mohamed, the state minister was formed in order to look into the threats against DCRF staff and act promptly on their demands, which began three months ago.

The preparatory committee demanded that the Prime Minister, Mohammed Salem Basindawa, validate the ministerial committee’s decision to dismiss the fund manager.

The statement called on the Minister of Interior to give orders to the head of Political Security to investigate the threatening of workers at DCRF by Major Al-Omaisi and other majors to investigate them in order to threaten to stop demonstrating against the fund manager.

These officials of the Criminal Investigation use their positions to serve thee manager and got a lot of money in return, according to the committee.

The ministerial committee decided to dismiss Abdullah Al-Hamdani, the fund manager, on grounds of corruption after several protests demanding his removal and conveyed to the Prime Minister that there are official documents that prove corruption in the fund.

“Al-Hamdani still manages the fund and threatens workers demanding his removal,” said Najeeb Al-Qadasi, an employee at the fund.

The fund provides over 50,000 disabled people with different services including medicines and cash assistance.