Lack of law hampers South Sudan’s anti-corruption body
July 29, 2008 (JUBA)– South Sudan’s anti-corruption head said on Tuesday the semi-autonomous region’s resources were being stolen and a lack of legislation was hampering her work.
Pauline Riak said her independent anti-corruption body, set up in 2005, recorded over 14,000 cases of corruption in the first six months of 2008 alone.
“There is outright stealing throughout the nation because we have a fragile institutional set-up,” she told Reuters.
She said the commission could not execute its duties because there was no law to enforce its mandate.
A bill to do so was drafted last year by the commission but was stuck at the Justice Ministry for approval.
The law would give her body far-reaching powers to review assets of some government employees each year, with access to bank accounts in Sudan and abroad, including those of relatives.
Sudan’s 2005 north-south peace deal ended Africa’s longest civil war, shared power and wealth, enshrined democratic transformation and created semi-autonomous government for the south led by the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.
The war claimed 2 million lives, raged on and off since 1955 and left the south one of the world’s poorest regions.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir declared a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, has sacked many senior officials and last year lifted the immunity of former finance minister Arthur Akuein Chol for investigation into graft allegations.
Chol is on bail and complains of delays to his trial.
The commission was set up in June 2005 to protect public property, raise awareness about corruption in the public and advise the government.
According to a perception survey conducted last month by the commission, 67 percent of southerners believed there was massive corruption in the government.
“We had very high expectations that the government would deliver services to the people — when we do not see those things, naturally as human beings we ask the question why,” the anti-corruption boss said.
(Reuters)
Justin Chicago opiny
Lack of law hampers South Sudan’s anti-corruption body
People are losing hope in the Anti-corruption commission which we though would bring hope for a young GOSS. The law makers themselves are corrupt. When and how will those who were involved in the corruption vomit out what was stolen from tax payers money if there is no law to try them and why was this commision established in the first place and where is the Zero tolerance that we hear being sang about corruption?. There should be no lack of legislation when the SSLA exist. We must be serious about our jobs.
Omer
Lack of law hampers South Sudan’s anti-corruption body
What a big suprise, South Sudan with a lack of law, and then they come and complain about the NCP. This is a very clear indication of the incompetence of the SPLM and their very naive and even ignorant belief that they will lead a “new” Sudan, this also further demonstrates why South Sudan will ultimatley be a failed corrupt state resembling Liberia.