On Thursday, December 5, 2024, the High Authority for Combating Corruption in the internationally recognized Yemeni government reported receiving a notification regarding a shipment of diesel deemed "non-compliant with international specifications" that was offloaded at Mukalla port after being rejected by the Aden refineries.

In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Oil, which was accessed by "Barran Press," the authority stated that the vessel M.T. Bellagio arrived at Mukalla carrying 12,992 tons of diesel that failed to meet global standards and was discharged into oil tanks.

The memorandum indicated that the diesel shipment had initially reached Aden port, where it was inspected by the Aden Refinery Company and found to be non-compliant, leading to its rejection for offloading at the refinery's tanks. Subsequently, the shipment was transferred to Mukalla port and unlawfully discharged into the tanks of the local oil company without proper authorization.

The Anti-Corruption Authority has called on the Ministry of Oil to establish an administrative committee to investigate the officials at the Mukalla branch of the oil company to determine why the non-compliant shipment was offloaded.

In a memorandum signed by the authority’s president, Judge Afrah Badwilan, they requested the results of the investigation to take legal action and urged the Mukalla oil company branch not to sell or dispose of the shipment until it is legally addressed.