South Sudan anti-corruption body says it has information about suspected officials

January 26, 2011 (JUBA) – The Southern Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission, which was established in 2006 to fight corruption in the semi-autonomous regional government of South Sudan has revealed it has collected information about suspected officials who have stolen money and put it in banks across international borders.

The head of the Southern Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission (SSCC), Pauline Riak, in a statement she issued on Southern Sudan TV on Tuesday also revealed that her institution lacks power to prosecute suspects. She said what they do as a commission is refer suspected cases to the ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development which should, in turn, issue further action including prosecution of those found to have squandered the nation’s resources.

The ministry of Legal Affairs has been criticized by the public for not prosecuting suspects for many years. The President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has publicly said his government’s zero tolerance policy on corruption. However, no suspects have yet been fully investigated or prosecuted.

During the opening of the 2011 parliamentary first session on Monday, President Kiir criticized the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly for not playing an active role in the fight against corruption.

Pauline Riak said they have been in contact with many countries in Africa and abroad and cooperate with them by providing them with information about the corrupt officials and stolen money banked in their financial institutions.

The chief of the anti-corruption body last year warned that her commission would strike at run-away culprits far and wide around the globe. The commission also requested all the officials of the government to declare, in a formatted official form, their wealth in the country and abroad including the wealth of their spouses. These include declaring how much money one has in bank accounts, owned houses and cars or any other asset.

Riak’s statement, which seems to have been intended to remindthe public about her lack of power to prosecute, came days after the semi-autonomous government demanded an investigation into a grain fraud, which occurred since 2008 during implementation of government’s food reserve program in response to food shortage in the region. The process turned into a looting spree and is suspected of robbing billions of US dollars from the South Sudn, which could emerge as a new independent state in July following a referendum. Officials say it would take the government 50 years to pay off all the claimed money at a rate of 50 million dollars a year if it simply succumbs to the fraud, which is described as the most costly corrupt practice the region had ever witnessed.

As part of the fraud 410 contracted companies most of them suspected to have been fake claimed to have delivered over 10 million bags of maize and dura to the hungry populations in the ten states, and after receiving certificates of delivery from state authorities, demanded payment on the delivery from the government. Some 78 million Sudanese Pounds (about $30 million) has already been paid to some of the companies by the finance ministry.

While the companies claimed that they had delivered to all the ten states, the amounts claimed by such companies vary from state to state. The highest claim among them is by Central Equatoria state with 254 companies claiming to have delivered over 4.7 million bags of maize and dura. They demand an outstanding amount of over 1 billion Sudanese Pounds (SDG) and already received payment of over 30 million SDG.

Warrap state has the second highest claim of 127 companies claiming to have delivered over 1.5 million bags of maize and dura to Warrap state. They demand an outstanding payment of over 401 million SDG and already received payment of more than 24 million.

Upper Nile state has the least claim, with 15 companies claiming to have delivered 83,000 bags of maize. They claim an outstanding amount of 4.1 million pounds, so far receiving none. Jonglei state has the second to least claim with 18 companies claiming to have delivered 30 thousand bags of maize. They claim an outstanding amount of 19.4 million SDG and already received 854,000 SDG.

Riak revealed that the commission is investigating corruption cases involving
political leaders in the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and states as well
as cases against officers of the army, police, wildlife, fire brigade, banks and
civil servants.

She also said her institution has been investigating money cases in Europe,
Asia, Australia, America as well as in some African countries.

The government in a cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir on last week’s Friday resolved to return all the claims to respective states authorities for further scrutiny of the companies, warning that it would prosecute those individuals who have involved in the corrupt practice.

The official spokesperson of the government, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, told the press that the government was now serious to investigate the issue and punish the culprits.

A thee-person ministerial committee was formed to follow up with the process in the respective states.

The bulk of the individual companies are believed to have already run away with tens of millions of dollars. Marial said no further payments will be done to any of such companies “until further notice.”

He said investigations will be carried out and “the law will take its course”.

The emerging independent state, after overwhelming vote for secession in the referendum, almost completely depends on the 50% share in oil revenues produced in the two states of Unity and Upper Nile, which the region divides with northern Sudan in accordance with the 2005 peace deal. The oil revenue constitutes 98% of Southern Sudan’s annual budget.

(ST)