N. Bahr Ghazal minister condemns MP over murder allegations

By Julius N. Uma

January 10, 2012 (JUBA) – The spokesperson for South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal state government on Tuesday strongly condemned allegations by one of its lawmakers, who claimed there was a murder plot against him by state governor.

Bona Makuac Mawien told journalists in Juba, the South Sudan capital, that all the statements attributed to a Majak Garang Bol, a MP from Aweil South, were “merely concoction and fabricated to suit his personal interests.”

The MP, in a series of media interviews, claimed the state Governor, Paul Malong Awan had threatened to “kill” him over his outspoken stance on corruption, human rights abuses and bad governance.

He further claimed he was being targeted after he raised a motion to have the state finance, trade and industry minister, Ronald Ruay Deng, impeached over alleged corruption and financial malpractices.

“In reality, Governor Paul Malong Awan has nothing to do with MP Bol’s case as it is a course of law or legal procedures. Ethically what can the Governor gain from murdering the MP as a result of the motion raised? These are mere lies,” said the minister.

Mawien, also Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s minister for information and communication instead maintained that the Aweil South MP’s woes stemmed from a fraudulent act he allegedly committed in Nairobi, Kenya last year.

The MP’s case, which reportedly involved using fake US dollars to make transactions to the tune of $12.5m, is allegedly registered under reference number OB 52/9/1/2011 at the Central Police station in Kenyan capital.

The lawmaker, a highly placed source told Sudan Tribune, allegedly paid his co-conspirators identified as Jean Pierre Ebanda and Williams Achakaleke Acha the sum of $30,000 as a reward for their contribution towards the illegal scheme.

“This fraudulent incident prompted State security organs to put Hon. Garang Majak Bol under tight security surveillance ever since especially when fictitious dollars began to surface in Aweil market,” added the source, who was not authorised to speak to the media.

Akot Deng Akot, the Northern Bahr el Ghazal Police Commissioner told Sudan Tribune by phone on Tuesday that the MP has “serious cases” to answer over allegations linked to fraud.

“We got a search warrant from the Attorney General of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state to search his [Bol’s] house after he was suspected of having been involved in fake money laundering. When we searched his house, we found several ammunitions and 5,000 Kenyan Shillings and $500 all of which were fake currencies,” said Akot.

The MP, the Police Commissioner said, was eventually arrested, but eventually released after he gave a statement. Also detained, he added, were those suspected to have been involved with the lawmaker in these dubious deals.

However, the Aweil South MP in a separate interview with Sudan Tribune, described as “baseless” the claims linking him to fraud, saying they were intended to cover up his fight against corruption, human rights abuses and bad governance within the state.

“I have completely no connection with all these allegations. All that the government is trying to do is to divert public attention from sensitive issues which they have failed to address as mandated by the constitution,” Bol said by phone from Juba.

According to the MP, the statement from the minister was aimed at incriminating him, but vowed to fight on until “truth, justice and good governance” prevail in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.

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