Uber and Lyft say they have revoked the driving privileges of a Somali man who has been accused of war crimes, including torture and directing mass executions.
The ride-sharing apps say they will no longer allow Yusuf Abdi Ali to earn money on their platforms after a CNN reporter went undercover and filmed the suspected Somali war criminal working for Uber.
‘I do this full time,’ said Ali as he was transporting the CNN reporter in suburban Virginia.
Ali told CNN he prefers to work on weekends because ‘that’s where the money is.’
According to CNN, Ali was listed on Uber as an Uber Pro Diamond driver with a 4.89 rating.
Ali told CNN that he had no trouble getting approved as an Uber driver.
‘They just want your background check, that's it,’ he said.
Yusuf Abdi Ali is seen above driving an Uber in the Washington, DC, area recently
Ali is also alleged to have committed war crimes during his tenure as a colonel in the Somali military. He is seen left
Uber told CNN that it has dropped Ali from its service after it was made aware of the allegations against him
‘If you apply tonight maybe after two days it will come, you know, everything.’
Ali has denied all allegations made against him.
Uber told CNN that it has suspended Ali from its service. Lyft said Ali has not used its service in 18 months, though his name has been removed from its systems.
'The safety of our community is our top priority and we are horrified by the allegations described,' a spokesperson for Lyft told CNN.
'Before giving a ride on the Lyft platform, all driver-applicants are screened for criminal offenses and driving incidents in the United States.'
While Ali has not been convicted of a crime, an internet search of his name reveals numerous press stories detailing allegations of atrocities he is said to have committed during the Somali civil war in the 1980s.
Ali is also being sued in a Virginia court for his alleged past activities.
Farhan Warfaa, a Somali village elder, is set to testify against Ali.
Warfaa alleges Ali was leading the notorious Fifth Brigade which rounded up him and other young men of the Isaaq clan from his village during the Somali
