The government of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal state has arrested a number of its top officials over corruption allegations, disclosing that 10 to 11 million South Sudanese pounds (SSP) has gone missing.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, the state minister of information Jackline Nyibol Ajonga confirmed that Secretary-General of the Government Garang Kuot Kuot and Director-General of the Finance Ministry Sabrino Majok Majok and others were arrested for their alleged role in the corruption.

This information confirms a report of the arrest of senior officials last Thursday, which stated that the men might be accused of corruption involving missing teachers' salaries, or charged with making allegations against the governor in relation to the same.

Ajonga declined to say, however, whether the state finance minister was involved or not: “We cannot say that the minister of finance is involved until it appears in the investigation whether or not he is involved. He has actually taken a sick leave for two weeks and he will return.”

Asked if these officials were arrested on corruption charges the minister replied, “Of course, there are corruption allegations directed against them. Until they are tried anyone who pleads not guilty will be released and the ones who plead guilty will follow the legal procedures.”

She mentioned that at least 30 people are implicated in the investigation on grounds that they had sought money or sought to collect on claims from the state by illegal means. Nyibol declined to give the total number of the detained officials but disclosed that officials from various ministries including ministry of finance and agriculture are involved.

According to the minister, some of those arrested were carrying cheques from the government written out to them, sometimes for millions of pounds. The minister explained that the governor formed an investigation committee of seven people, headed by the minister of the local government Lino Adup Achier, which is expected to make a report within two weeks from last Friday.

Other institutions represented are the prosecutor-general’s office, the state anti-corruption commission, the auditor-general in the finance ministry, representatives from the parliament, and from the state general secretariat. Aweil South County Commissioner Jiel Mangok Yel is also helping lead the investigation.

In a separate interview with Eye Radio 98.6, the information minister also directly addressed allegations that the governor himself was implicated in the missing funds: “The Sudan Tribune says that it is Governor Malong who goes to the Ministry of Finance at the national level to go and take the money right from the Ministry of Finance at the National Level, this is actually an unfounded allegation and it actually gives a bad name to our ministry in Juba.”

She added that the national finance ministry could not  deduct funds from the grant from Juba to the state without the knowledge of the state. “This is unfounded, it cannot happen anywhere,” she affirmed.

The minister was referring to a report in Sudan Tribune, which stated, “Many officials in the state ministry of finance have claimed that the central ministry of finance has documents showing that Governor Awan had taken 2 million SSP in public funds to Juba.”

“It remains unclear what became of the money, although it is assumed the funds were to support military activities in which NBeG was engaged in in Jonglei state late last and early this year. Awan says he provided troops to help the central government contain a spiraling rebellion in the state, but maintains he never took any money,” adds the Sudan Tribune report.

In another related development, the governor has made at least two appointments to replace key detained officials. Clement Manyuot has been appointed as the acting state government secretary-general, and Nyok Urac has been appointed as the acting director general in the ministry of finance

The minister explained that these two positions are vital for the functioning of the government and hence they could not wait for the results of the investigation committee before filling the roles.

File photo: Governor Paul Malong and Minister of Information Jackline Nyibol at a function in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, 1 February 2013 (Radio Tamazuj)