National Parliamentarians Divided Over Auditor’s Report

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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A heated debate rocked the South Sudan National Assembly on Wednesday when the Public Accounts Committee presented its work on the Auditor’s report of the financial years 2005/6 to the members leaving them devided in camps.

After presentation by the Public Accounts Committee Chairperson Hon. Kom Kom Geng, the House Speaker Hon. James Wani Igga urged the legislators to debate on the Committee’s work.

After three hours of a heated debate in the House, the legislators were divided into two camps; National Ministers faction and other legislators.

The sensitive debate left the two camps accusing each another over accountability issues. The (Members of Parliament) MPs Camp preferred life imprisonment and confiscation of property of those who will be found guilty of squandering the public resources and defined them as “looters”. 

Thomas Wani Kundu of the SPLM party, an MP representing Lainya County of Central Equatoria State called for the life imprisonment and confiscation of the property of those who will be found guilty.

Meanwhile, Hon. John Luk Jok, the Minister of Justice and the government legal advisor received criticisms from most members in what they termed as interference to the open debate and obstructing the members from free deliberations on the Auditor’s report.

 Mr. John Luk promised not to prosecute any person found guilty of squandering the public resources on the grounds that, the Auditor’s report was not comprehensive since they dint include audited parts of the executive (Presidency and the Judiciary)

Luk commented that, “let us not be emotional but read the report and base our debates on facts from the reports. The Auditor’s report is not comprehensive; it should have covered all the government institutions if justice is to prevail.”

 However, Hon. Wani Igga later ruled out John Luk’s threats and said his Ministry will stand to play a role on the report if the Assembly comes up with a decision.

The outspoken SPLM youth Chairperson Mr. Akol Paul Kordit warned the speakers during the debate who defensively spoke against facts on the reports.

“Here there are two things; corruption and justice. So you are either with corruption or justice. I cannot speak zero tolerance on corruption during my rallies because I feel ashamed,” Akol Paul Kordit said.

“We really have to make a u-turn on this issue of corruption. I would suggest this report to be referred to the South Sudan Anti Corruption Commission, (SSACC) that was given powers to investigate and prosecute the corrupt persons,” Akol stressed followed by a roar of applause from almost all corners of the House.

He further recommended publishing of names of the corrupt officials if found guilty against the published names of the martyrs in South Sudan as a way of ashaming officials and fighting to end the vice.

Prior to John Luk’s commends, Mr. Kuoch K. Makwech urged the House Speaker not to allow the Ministers to speak first in any debate  before the legislators, because they obstruct deliberations and contradict ideas.

The endless debate was adjourned to Monday next week by the Speaker saying that, resolutions to the reports shouldn’t be rushed.

On November 1st 2011, the South Sudan Auditor General Mr. Stephen Wondu presented the government accounts audit reports of the years 2005 and 2006. The reports were based on six main key items where government public funds mainly are used; oil revenues, payroll expenditure, capital expenditure, bank and cash balances.

House members were shocked while others shade tears when the Auditor General made the presentation. Besides the 2005 financial report, the 2006 report indicates that $1.3billion US Dollars were embezzled and the government should account for it.