Kiir’s legal advisor vows to fight corruption without “fear or favour”

September 24, 2013 (JUBA) – A legal aid to South Sudan president Salva Kiir has vowed to ensure the fight corruption in the country is executed without fear or favour.

Telar Ring Deng, in a statement issued Tuesday, clearly spelt out anti-graft fight as one his top three priorities in the legal advisory role.

A former nominee for the justice ministry, Telar was rejected by lawmakers, but bounced back last week after Kiir appointed him to be his legal advisor; a post he previously held.

“We cannot fight corruption in South Sudan if the Anti-Corruption Commission is not provided with real teeth, not its current milk teeth, to bite with properly,” Telar said shortly after taking oath before the president.

He further stressed that the passing of the draft Anti-Corruption Bill be expedited to give the anti-graft more independence to investigate and prosecute cases, without fear or favour.

“We must therefore work to expedite the Anti-Corruption Bill through the ministry of justice and parliament”, he said.

I intend also to collaborate with colleagues in the ministry of justice and the parliament to pass the National Security Service law and the Law Reforms Act, he added.

NO GRUDGES

Meanwhile, Telar said he was not bitter with any of the MPs, albeit some tried to “personalise” and “politicise” the vetting process that so him rejected as justice minister-designate.

“I have no qualms or bitterness against anyone. This is democracy and as Winston Churchill once said it might not be perfect, but it is the less evil of all the known systems of governance”, he remarked.

A holder of a B.A in Political Science and Anthropology from the United States, Telar’s nomination as justice minister sparked debate with many questioning his academic credentials.

He would later present, in a letter, president Kiir and his former vice president, Riek Machar as living witnesses to testify before the parliamentary select vetting committee.

(ST).