Latest news with #OLA
Observer
27-05-2025
- Business
- Observer
OLA signs agreements with insurance companies
The Omani Lawyers Association (OLA) signed a number of agreements with insurance companies operating in the Sultanate of Oman following the amendments issued in the new Omani Lawyers Law, promulgated by Royal Decree No 41/2024. This law requires law firms to insure themselves against professional errors. The signing took place at the headquarters of the Oman Lawyers Association (OLA) on Tuesday. The agreements were made with Arabia Falcon Insurance Company SAOG, Dhofar Insurance and Oman United Insurance Company SAOG. They will cover professional services such as legal consulting, judicial representation, legal documentation, arbitration and mediation. Additionally, they will cover employee breach of trust, loss of documents, defamation, slander, copyright infringement, breach of confidentiality, and loss mitigation clauses, all of which are automatically covered. "In a groundbreaking move to enhance the professional protection of lawyers and improve the quality of legal practice, the Oman Lawyers Association has signed agreements with insurance companies in the Sultanate of Oman to protect against possible errors by law firms," said Dr Hamad bin Hamdan al Rubaie, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OLA. The purpose of these agreements is to establish cooperation between the Association and insurance companies to provide professional liability insurance policies to lawyers and law firms. This will enhance the legal and professional protection of lawyers while they practice their profession. The agreements also cover financial losses resulting from professional errors, negligence, and omissions during legal practice, as well as legal expenses related to any claim covered under the policy. Furthermore, the agreements will allow lawyers and their families to obtain comprehensive or third-party insurance for their private vehicles at preferential rates and favourable terms in accordance with the Unified Insurance Policy issued in Oman. An insurance company stated that this initiative will create a safe professional environment for law firms. By forging agreements with insurance companies, appropriate and effective insurance solutions against professional liability will be provided to lawyers and law firms in Oman according to the terms and specifications in each agreement. However, it's important to note that these policies do not cover intentional acts, war, terrorism, cyber risks, insolvency, delays, infectious diseases, contractual liability and other exclusions as specified in the policy terms.
Daily Maverick
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
From conflict to cooperation: Rethinking security strategies in the Kenya-Ethiopia borderlands
Kenya's police have achieved some positive results, but lasting solutions require ongoing cooperation between the two countries. In February, Kenyan police launched Operation Ondoa Jangili ('remove the criminals') as part of security measures to drive the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) out of hideouts in Isiolo and Marsabit counties. The OLA is an informal militia fighting for self-determination for Ethiopia's Oromo ethnic group in the south of the country. Owing to its political orientation and culture of violence, it has frequently escaped Ethiopian authorities by crossing into Kenya. Marsabit and Isiolo are home to the Borana and Gabbra communities, both of which speak Oromo, thus providing cover for the OLA through ethnic affinity. Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service says the armed group broke away from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) after the OLF renounced the armed struggle in 2018. Ethiopian intelligence says the OLA has established ties with the terrorist group al-Shabaab in Somalia and is involved in illicit activities such as arms trafficking and illegal mining. The Kenya Police Service has also accused the group of engaging in arms, drug and human trafficking, illegal mining, kidnapping for ransom and instigating tribal conflicts. In August 2024, two South Koreans were abducted from their Odda Mission Church residence in Moyale and allegedly handed to al-Shabaab in what Ethiopian intelligence says was an OLA-al-Shabaab collaboration. The OLA denies the claim. Kenya-Ethiopia cross-border insecurity The OLA says it has no presence in Kenya. This contradicts the country's National Intelligence Service Director-General Noordin Haji, who told a parliamentary oversight committee that the OLA was occupying Kenyan territory. The group has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of Kenyan communities living along the border, pledging to respect Kenya's territorial integrity and expressing willingness to cooperate with authorities. The OLA accused Ethiopia's army and intelligence of facilitating transnational criminal networks and cautioned Kenya not to be misled and to maintain its balanced approach to regional stability. Kenyans living along the border are caught in the crossfire, often being detained by security forces for allegedly harbouring OLA fighters. Community members also face harassment by the OLA, which accuses them of spying for Kenya and Ethiopia's governments. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights says the ongoing police operation has sparked an outcry from those affected, who report human rights violations by the security forces. A lack of coordinated Kenyan-Ethiopian security force patrols along their porous border, marginalisation of border communities by both governments, and weak state institutions lacking the capacity to respond to distress calls have all worked in the OLA's favour. A resident told ISS Today that previous efforts by both Kenyan and Ethiopian security agencies to contain the OLA's activities were disjointed. That allowed the group to easily melt into the Kenyan population across the border when escaping Ethiopian authorities. As a result of OLA's incursions and a mismatch in Kenya and Ethiopia's firearm policies, the border region has suffered an influx of small arms. Kenya controls the licensing of arms, while in Ethiopia, civilians can legally own guns after registering them with the federal government. This fuels a cycle of insecurity as border communities acquire illicit arms for self-defence, creating a ready market for arms traffickers and the OLA. Memorandum of understanding In August 2024, in the build-up to the current police operation, Kenya and Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation through intelligence sharing and coordinated operations. The countries also had a security defence pact ratified in 1964, which, among other things, allowed them to support each other if a third party attacked them. However, the pact lost significance as the Somalian threat at that time waned. Kenya's operation has uncovered 14 makeshift camps believed to be used by OLA members, 10 firearms, ammunition, fake US dollars and Ethiopian birr, and propaganda literature in Oromo. Several people with alleged links to the group were arrested, and the police claim to have disrupted human and arms trafficking networks while curtailing cross-border incursions and kidnappings. These are positive achievements. But as with all security force operations, the successes can generally only be sustained while the operation is active. Once it ends, illicit activities could resume. Longer-term measures and prevention strategies are also vital. For example, coordinated and ongoing joint cross-border security patrols, combined with state investment in infrastructure such as roads and education facilities in border areas, are needed. That would protect border communities and facilitate trade and investment, bringing stability after decades of upheaval. Kenya and Ethiopia should also establish a permanent joint border security management framework, including a 24-hour one-stop border post at Moyale and formal border posts in Forolle, Elhadi and Dukana. This would encourage trade and check the movement of criminal actors and contraband across the border. Also, while factionalism within insurgent groups makes engaging in meaningful peace talks hard, Ethiopia's government should consider dialogue with the OLA, as happened in 2023. Ironing out contentious issues and building trust could help settle the disputes among parties to the conflict. Lastly, security forces must adhere to the law when carrying out operations, particularly concerning human rights. This would build trust between them and local communities, with knock-on positive effects for intelligence sharing, and tracking and arresting suspects. DM
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Audit: Maryland Department of Emergency Management can't account for over $300M in federal funding
A legislative audit released Thursday found that the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) potentially cost the state more than $300 million in federal COVID-19-related funds and failed to account for over $23 million in loans to volunteer fire companies. In MDEM's first audit since being established in 2021, the Maryland Office of Legislative Audits (OLA) determined that in several instances, the department spent more than $1.13 billion between 2022 and 2024 on COVID-related grants, making up most of its funding for public assistance. While the department was able to request federal reimbursements for much of this spending, it failed to do so on a quarterly basis, which lost the state an estimated $19.2 million. MDEM also reported receiving $882 million in federal funds, but upon further analysis, it received only about $560 million. There is a chance that the federal government will still fulfill the full requested amount, but if it does not, Maryland taxpayers might be on the hook to cover the $300 million shortfall. The audit's final reported finding was that MDEM has 62 active loans under its Volunteer Company Assistance Fund (VCAF), with a combined outstanding balance of over $23 million. These loans, intended to help volunteer fire companies purchase and improve equipment, are all overseen by a single MDEM employee, which the audit says leaves the department susceptible to delinquent loan payments. During the audit, OLA identified over $540,000 worth of late VCAF payments. 'MDEM has implemented control processes and made progress in areas described in this report, including filling key vacancies that may have contributed to the findings,' wrote Maryland Secretary of Emergency Management Russell Strickland in his response to the audit. Have a news tip? Contact Mathew Schumer at mschumer@ 443-890-7423 and on X as @mmmschumer.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Audit: Maryland Department of Emergency Management can't account for over $300M in federal funding
A legislative audit released Thursday found that the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) potentially cost the state more than $300 million in federal COVID-19-related funds and failed to account for over $23 million in loans to volunteer fire companies. In MDEM's first audit since being established in 2021, the Maryland Office of Legislative Audits (OLA) determined that in several instances, the department spent more than $1.13 billion between 2022 and 2024 on COVID-related grants, making up most of its funding for public assistance. While the department was able to request federal reimbursements for much of this spending, it failed to do so on a quarterly basis, which lost the state an estimated $19.2 million. MDEM also reported receiving $882 million in federal funds, but upon further analysis, it received only about $560 million. There is a chance that the federal government will still fulfill the full requested amount, but if it does not, Maryland taxpayers might be on the hook to cover the $300 million shortfall. The audit's final reported finding was that MDEM has 62 active loans under its Volunteer Company Assistance Fund (VCAF), with a combined outstanding balance of over $23 million. These loans, intended to help volunteer fire companies purchase and improve equipment, are all overseen by a single MDEM employee, which the audit says leaves the department susceptible to delinquent loan payments. During the audit, OLA identified over $540,000 worth of late VCAF payments. 'MDEM has implemented control processes and made progress in areas described in this report, including filling key vacancies that may have contributed to the findings,' wrote Maryland Secretary of Emergency Management Russell Strickland in his response to the audit. Have a news tip? Contact Mathew Schumer at mschumer@ 443-890-7423 and on X as @mmmschumer.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Finalizing fraud prevention: Results from committee prompted by Feeding Our Future
The Brief The House fraud prevention committee wrapped up its 2025 session this week. It produced only one bill that seems likely to pass this year, but Republicans credit it with a culture shift. Democrats say they already passed a lot of fraud prevention into law during the trifecta, including a pre-award risk assessment for grant recipients. Creating a statewide Office of Inspector General was a bipartisan priority, but whether it lands under executive or legislative control is still to be determined. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The new House fraud prevention committee has wrapped up its work for the year. How useful it was depends on whom you ask. Prevention production 2025 goals and bills It sounds like only one bill originating in the Republican-led committee will make it into law this year, but quite a few bills attempt to address fraud and the GOP says that's because their work helped change the culture. In the wake of Feeding Our Future and investigations into autism center scams, the GOP started 2025 with a goal that fit into the palm of Rep. Jim Nash.\ "This is the very simple note," said Rep. Nash, (R-Waconia) as he held up his hand. "It's right here. It says 'fraud equals bad.'" Protecting taxpayers 'More than skin deep' The House fraud prevention committee is the only one with a Republican majority, but Democrats who served with them say the work is more than skin deep. "It's easy to say 'fraud is bad', said Rep. Emma Greenman, (DFL-Minneapolis). "That's a bumper sticker. I think actually protecting people and the services that they rely on, protecting taxpayers requires a stack of bills that we have been working through." What's changing? Audit report cards Nash didn't serve on the fraud committee, but he got bipartisan support for his anti-fraud bill requiring report cards from the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) detailing audit performances by anybody up for a new grant. "There will be four (new) full-time (auditors) once that bill gets signed into law," Rep. Nash said. Answering to auditors Direct complaint The entire fraud committee also signed a letter emphasizing a complaint the OLA has had since at least 2007 — direct grants from legislators to nonprofits. Those often get less oversight, and Republicans said they'll address the issue in 2026. "We will have some sort of a policy bill where any legislative earmarks have to go through a process that includes risk assessment, that includes analyzing 990 and capacity," said Rep. Kristin Robbins, (R-Maple Grove), who chaired the committee. Democrats say they also want to minimize those direct grants and want them to be better scrutinized — so much so, they already created a pre-award risk assessment during their trifecta. "That is required right now," said Rep. Dave Pinto, (DFL-St. Paul). Inspector's office Who's in control? One more GOP priority has been to create a statewide Office of Inspector General under legislative control. That seems likely to happen, but possibly within the executive branch instead of the legislative branch because that's the only way the office can have police powers. What's next Republicans plan to keep the fraud committee until around next year, and they say they already have 530 fraud hotline reports to go through before the next session.
