Lawmakers in Sudan demand prosecution for financial crimes

January 18, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – A number of Sudanese lawmakers demanded that the government initiate proceedings against those accused of financial and legal abuses in the most recent report of the inspector-general.

The MP’s stressed that no corporation or agency associated with the government has any sort of immunity or agreement to exempt it from auditing in line with presidential directives.

This was in reference to some governmental units refusing to open their books for review by the inspector-general.

The head of the parliamentary subcommittee on energy and mining, Omar Adam Rahma, called for launching an urgent investigation into irregularities related to the gold sector that were uncovered in the report which showed the government and central bank losing billions in the process processing gold ores instead of passing that cost to agents and gold companies.

Rahma further noted that the work of the UAE-based Kaloti gold company without an official contract calling it a violation of the law.

MP Mahdi Abdul-Rahman told reporters that a number of lawmakers are pushing the attorney-general, minister of justice and the inspector-general to prosecute those implicated in the report.

Abdul-Rahman pointed out that president Omer Hassan al-Bashir previously stressed the government’s willingness to fight corruption and urging anyone in possession of evidence proving that to come forward.

He emphasised the need to disclose the names of those officials who utilised their influence to achieve material benefits per the inspector-general’s report.

(ST)