South Sudan: Ex-Minister Accuses Amum of Taking $30 Million, Named VP in
Scandal
By Mary Ajith Goch & Misuk Moses, 10 February 2012
Juba - Former Minister of Finance Arthur Akuien Chol levelled strong
accusations against the SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum of receiving 30
Million US dollars from him in his personal account in 2006 and further
alleged that the Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny instructed him the same
year to purchase vehicles for the Government of Southern Sudan GOSS from
Cardinal Company whose price was twice the actual amount.
The Ex-Minister claimed that before he approved the money to be transferred
to the SPLM Secretary General's account he got instruction from what he
described as "from above" without stating the name of the person to do so.
The matter was generated by recent discussion of the Audit Report of 2005-6
and the accusation against Chol by the Former Bank Governor Elijah Malok in
the Parliament describing Chol as a "thief" at the end of last month,
accusation which Chol brushed off.
Chol at a Press Conference in Home and Away yesterday explained that in 2006
a sum of 60, million US dollars was given to GOSS/SPLM by the then Sudan
President Al Bashir and sent to GOSS Account and he (Chol) due to
instruction "from above" approved $30Million for expenditure out of the 60
Million and he has documents to verify the expenses and then released the
other half of $30 Million to Amum to account for it.
"I can account for the $30Million of which I hold the copies of documents
because my involvement in this could be reference to the approvals I made
having been instructed from above but the other $30, Million was placed in
the hands of SPLM SG Pagan Amum as it was paid by the Ministry of Finance
directly to his account as once again I had been instructed from above to
transfer that amount and Pagan should account for this," Chol claimed
displaying to Reporters photocopies of the authorization letter and cheque
issued.
This followed the allegations labelled against Chol that he was corrupt.
"It is unfortunate that I have been pushed to the point where it is
necessary for me to stand up and take this opportunity to list out some, if
only a few of the transgressions made by few against the public interest of
the people of South Sudan," Chol said in a press conference he organized to
"clear" himself from Public about corruption allegations.
Returning to his removal his ministerial position in the Ministry of
Finance, he said it was due to the allegations that he purchased the
vehicles from the Cardinal Company in which it was not true that he
conducted the process alone but that he was instructed by the Vice President
to do so.
"I was accused of purchasing vehicles from Cardinal Company at a price twice
the actual amount leading to my removal as the Minister of Finance. Well
these vehicles were purchased following written instructions from the Vice
President Riek Machar, that I should purchase the vehicles from the
expensive Cardinal Company for various Ministries, in turn I directed the
Undersecretary of Finance to proceed with the transactions and left for
Malaysia and Singapore.
Following this I was removed from my Office and my duties were terminated as
the Minister of Finance and immediately thereafter I was accused and
arrested for corruption but letter I was investigated and tried and there
was no evidence of wrong doing as the case was dismissed by Province Judge
Malek Mathiang in Juba on 30th September 2009" he asserted
Chol said he acknowledge and commend the Auditor General's report but
challenge that the report was not sufficient to the discovery of the true
facts and recommended the Auditor General to do a full audit on the national
Bank. "Am sure if they do this in a diligent and professional manner, they
will find missing links as they are there, but not yet discovered" he
concluded
Efforts by the Citizen to get the Secretary's General reaction and the Vice
President to the allegation were unsuccessful.
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Received on Fri Feb 10 2012 - 17:18:36 EST
