Civil society leader denies involvement in misappropriation of public funds

An exiled South Sudanese civil society activist whose named appeared in a report listing several government officials purported to have misappropriated public funds in 2014, has denied any involvement, while threatening to sue those who included his name in the list without his knowledge.

An exiled South Sudanese civil society activist whose named appeared in a report listing several government officials purported to have misappropriated public funds in 2014, has denied any involvement, while threatening to sue those who included his name in the list without his knowledge.

Biel Boutros Biel, Executive Director of South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy (SSHRSA), said in a statement that he learned from the media that his name was published among beneficiaries of the alleged misappropriated funds by the 2014 government formed crisis management committee.

“I want to categorically state that including my name as one of the alleged corruption beneficiaries, is a desperate attempt by a desperate regime, is a big lie, an organised blackmailing and a scheme intended by Juba regime to divert public attention from their plan to kidnap and deport me to Juba as planned over the last one month or so,”Biel wrote.

 “No one, even a coached witness can face me in a court of law to produce any evidence against me on this allegation. Simple common sense: how could I be a beneficiary of loots of a regime that is yearning to harm me just because of my human rights work that exposes its human rights abuses?” He asked.

Photo: Biel Boutros Biel/the Nile