S. Sudan official dismisses alleged scam at foreign affairs ministry

February 7, 2016 (JUBA) – A South Sudanese government official has dismissed reports alleging that senior foreign affairs ministry personnel using their positions to enrich themselves at expense of providing services, yet the nation was struggling economically.

“I don’t think that is true. There is nothing like. When any official of the government including the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation goes out, he or she does that on behalf of the government and the country. That person goes for a mission in the interest of the country,” said Abdon Terkoc, the undersecretary in the foreign affairs ministry.

“So it should be important that our people look at these foreign trips as not for money”, he added.

Terkoc described the foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin as incorruptible after unconfirmed reports claimed the finance ministry paid him huge sums of money.

“I am not aware of these allegations. I have not seen those reports. So I cannot comment on that but I know it is not good to smear the name of someone for nothing and it is unfortunate this nonsense is being circulated by people with bad intentions”, he stressed.

Terkoc was reacting to reports showing financial documents, including a cheque uploaded by Twitter and Facebook users, which labeled senior foreign officials, including Marial as being “hawkers, money minded, looters, heartless and disgraceful people”.

In a poor country where corruption has been a central issue for years, the revelation sparked a public angry at the lavish lifestyles of the political class in the young nation.

Daniella Valentino Wol, a sister to one of South Sudanese deputy head of mission to the United States, Baak Valentino Wol, and one of the alarmed and annoyed South Sudanese citizens angrily reacted to the allegation and asked President Salva Kiir should be detained and charged for corruption for allowing resources of the country to be looted.

“President Kiir should be detained and charged for corruption that is going on in South Sudan, said Daniella in a post on her Facebook page. There is not a day that goes by without suffering, dying of citizens through direct or indirect systematic killing but corruption continues with the government officials”, she added.

She accused Kiir of allegedly failing to address corruption, fight corruption and being the “only leader in the world who travels with a lot of money for a few day foreign trip.”

“Kiir refuses to lead with the accountability and transparency because he has failed to tackle corruption in his administration and Kiir is the only president who travels with over one million dollars in the world and spends it on a trip for a few days and South Sudanese jails are full of innocent people whilst criminals walk free in Juba”, she added.

(ST)