My suspension politically motivated, says finance minister
June 25, 2013 (JUBA) – The embattled South Sudan finance minister, recently suspended by President Salva Kiir over a corruption-related case, insists the decision was “politically” motivated.
The president implicated the two senior ministers for a shady request and transfer, respectively, of over 7 million US dollars to a company known as Daffy Investment Ltd.
The two ministers transferred the money to the private company without knowledge or authorization from the president or the cabinet for alleged purchase of anti-fire safes on behalf of the government.
But Manibe, in an interview with the UN sponsored Miraya FM on Monday, denied any wrongdoing in the alleged corruption case, saying the whole thing was “political”.
“This is a politically instigated motive to drag my name into it, and when the investigations have been undertaken fully, I believe it will clear me from all these allegations”, said the finance minister.
Manibe accused some unnamed officials within the current government of allegedly frustrating his work at the ministry, less than two years since he was elevated to the helm.
“All I can say is that there is general feeling amongst some circles who have been getting access to lose money in the past, that the doors to these lose money have been closed and shut by me”, he told the UN sponsored radio.
The minister, speaking for the first time since the suspension was announced, questioned the motive behind decree, given that the country currently faces turbulent economic times.
In a subsequent order, however, Kiir formed an investigation committee headed by the anti-corruption chairperson, John Gatwech Lul, to investigate the two ministers and report the findings to the president within sixty days.
The terms of reference for the investigation will include establishing who authorized the transfer of the money and whether there was a resolution from the cabinet approving the alleged purchase of anti-fire safes.
The five-member committee will also investigate whether there was a contract approved and signed by the government and whether such alleged anti-fire safes were brought into the country as well as the whereabouts of the money, among others.
The president’s order also calls for criminal prosecution of the two ministers should the outcome of the investigation find that the transfer of money was an act of theft.
The order, which came as a surprise, is widely regarded as the biggest ever scandal in the country’s post-secession era, after president Kiir’s letter to 75 senior current and former officials in his government, suspected of stealing a disputed figure of $4 billion US dollars over a six-year period.
It was not clear whether the two national ministers are among the list of the undisclosed 75 suspected officials.
On the other hand, the finance and economic planning ministry said that the suspension of its minister has not affected the daily business of the ministry, dispelling speculation that salaries for employees could be delayed.
Acting Minister, Marial Awou, said in a statement on Monday that suspension of the minister did not anyway affected the running and carrying out of routine activities and duties of the ministry but that delay in the payment of employees was due to financial difficulties the institution faces after the oil closure .
“There is continuity in carrying out normal processes and procedures as part of the routine activities of the ministry. The delay in the payment of salaries for employees is due to the fact that the ministry has had financial difficulties since closure of the oil in early 2012. But we will now pay two month salaries”, said Awou.
He thanked the family members of the employees affected for their perseverance and understanding.
2013-2014 BUDGET
In other development, minister Awou withdrew the realignment supplementary budget from the National Legislative Assembly, saying the move was necessitated by the need to allow the house to prioritise the debate of the 2013-2014 budgets, which amount to 17 billion South Sudanese pounds.
The focus of the draft budget, according to officials at the planning directorate in the ministry of finance, is to facilitate accelerate and sustain economic growth that translates into stable jobs, a redistribution of income and opportunities in favour of the poor, access to basic services and a general improvement in the standards of living
A ministry source told Sudan Tribune: “We have made substantial allocations towards the health, education, water and sanitation and local government sectors. Other interventions have been targeted towards facilitating sustained growth in the agriculture, tourism, infrastructure development and manufacturing sectors. In order to guarantee the execution of pragrammes and activities, the President has directed the Treasury to ensure that programme implementation reports are submitted by Ministries, states and other Spending Agencies prior to receiving subsequent funding.”
The source, with a close link with the office of the president, said the budget must reflect the will and the commitment of the ruling Sudan People’s liberation Movement (SPLM) to promoting inclusive growth and social justice for all.
“We do not want to fail our president. We want to him [to] succeed by ensuring that this time the budget is spent wisely. The ministry of finance will from henceforth ensure that government runs an activity based budget and had continued financing projects and programmes judiciously. We will make sure that government work tirelessly and with greater urgency to ensure that all priority sectors of the economy flourish within the projected benchmarks”, he explained.
CENTRAL BANK DENIES RUNNING OUT CASH
Meanwhile a senior official at the Central Bank has been forced to dismiss claims that the institution had run out of cash to fund regular requirements of the commercial banks to facilitate importing goods and services.
“It is not true that the bank has run out of cash to support regular requirements of the commercial banks. Our foreign reserves currently stand at significant amount. The investment pledges in various sectors of the economy in the first quarter of 2013 is also encouraging. It is therefore, irresponsible to engage in extreme talk amidst such a robust national economic performance”, an official at the bank told Sudan Tribune on Monday at the National Legislative Assembly.
(ST)