South Sudan parliament divided over financial scandal
November 27, 2014 (JUBA) – The whereabouts of 3 million South Sudanese pounds (SSP) allocated to the foreign affairs committee has created sharp divisions among members of South Sudan’s parliament.
“I don’t think you were part of the journalists who came to the parliament yesterday where I explained what happened. Anyway, I will not hesitate to talk you because this is something to do with the public interest. First point, I raised a motion in the parliament asking what happened to the 3 million South Sudanese which was allocated to foreign affairs committee for foreign visits. You know that everybody knows the house had passed 29 million to help members go to their constituencies to explain what they know about this conflict. From the 29 million, 26 million was allocated for members to go to their constituencies to mobilise the public about the current situation in the country, which as you know is a result of the failed coup and 3 million was allocated for foreign visits to explain to our friends in foreign countries about the political situation and failed coup attempt in our country”, said Makuer.
“The second point was about pending legislations in the house. We have about 11 legislations, one of which the NGOs bill. These bills have spent more than 11 months now and have never been brought to the house. Some even spent more than two years like the security bill without being brought to the house for deliberations. Others were not taken to the office of the president so that they are signed into law by the president after they are passed. They were just kept by the concerned committees and the reasons are never explained to the members. So I raised a motion to ask the status of these bills and to seek clarification about what has been done with the money which was allocated for foreign visits, because I have not seen members traveling out for the purpose for which the money was allocated,” he added.
The legislator said the funds were part of a supplementary budget allocation passed after annual budget earlier this year with intention that it would help the legislators assist the government in mobilisation and sensitisation campaigns and other peace and reconciliation activities on the conflict.
He, however, denied accusing the speaker of the house of playing any role in the use of money, saying he simply raised an issue on how public money was spent by MPs.
“The story is simply what I have explained before that this money was allocated to members of parliament for foreign visits. The members carried out mobilisation and sensitisation campaign and other peace and reconcilaition activities in their constituencies which were facilitated and covered by the 26 million. This sensitisation campaign was supposed to be extended to the foreign countries but when we came back the foreign visits were not organised. So members started asking and this is how I came up to ask the leadership of the house who has taken three million’? I did not accuse anybody. It was just asking a question seeking clarification from anybody in the assembly leadership who knows where the money had gone. I did not mention anybody’s name in the question. I just asked a question,” explained Makuer .
The speaker of the assembly, Magok Rundial vowed to resign if found guilty of having embezzled any money and demanded an apology from Makuer over these allegations.
“I had nothing to do with that money. It was in the committee of the foreign affairs. I had nothing to do with it. I cannot reach it. Where do I take the money in this assembly?” said Rundial at a press conference on Wednesday.
“I’d better resign if I’m called a thief. I can never be a thief here. We came here to correct the situation,” he added.
The top lawmaker called on the lawmaker to apologize to him for making accusations: “He will come and apologises, so I will call you when he apologises.”
But Makuer maintains he has not accused anybody of taking the money and would not apologise.
“I am not accusing my Speaker, I am not accusing other people in this house, but I am trying to find out where is the money,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government chief whip, Tulio Odongi, said he formed a committee to investigate the allegation to find what actually has happened, pointing out that right parliamentary procedures were not followed by those wanting to know what happened.
(ST)