Patrick Raphael Zamoi, Governor of South Sudan’s Gbudue State, is being accused of using President Kiir’s name to confiscate citizens’ properties in the state including the family of former Western Equatoria Governor Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro.
”It is a surprise that Patrick Zamoi is looting buildings in Western Equatoria State in the name of President Salva Kiir. Most of the buildings in Yambio including hotels were confiscated by Patrick Zamoi in the name of President Salva Kiir,”Gbudue community said in a statement extended to Radio Tamazuj.
“Naiveté Hotel, Yambio Raha Hotel, House of Mbiko Barakat, and many more were confiscated by Patrick Zamoi,” the community added.
According to the statement, Governor Zamoi has gone as far as chasing the sister of former Western Equatoria Governor Bakosoro from her house in Tambura.“The lady is now evicted from the house, she is languishing with her kids on the street looking for a place to stay. When Patrick Zamoi is asked why, he says it is the President who told him to confiscate personal properties of anybody who is not in Western Equatoria,”reads part of the statement.
The owners of the confiscated properties called on President Kiir to intervene and return their properties in the state.
Former Western Equatoria Governor Bakosoro himself confirmed on Friday that all his properties were confiscated in the name of President Kiir.”I am convinced that the President cannot order confiscation of poor peoples’ properties,” he said.
“Patrick should not use the name of the President to misbehave. Even those people with big assets in Juba and across the country worth millions of dollars, their properties had never been confiscated, why it is only happening in Gbudue State?” he asked.
The former official pointed out that his sister’s house was also seized by the state government in Tambura last week. ‘‘My sister in Tambura is now on the street looking for a house where she can stay with her children. The house was taken on Thursday in Tambura,” Bakosoro said.
Meanwhile, Dodo Bakosoro in Juba confirmed that her sister’s house in Tambura was confiscated by the state government over the past three days.” They informed me that the security officers went to the house in Tambura there, and ordered my sister to leave the house, so my sister left the house,” she said.
“The house was built by Bakosoro, so it is not a government property. It was built by Bakosoro in the last three years, the security also confiscated some properties in Yambio, they do not tell us the reason,” she added.
Multiple sources said that Governor Zamoi is trying to enrich himself with poor citizens’ properties by using President Kiir’s name and the National Security Service.
For his part, Victor Edward, Deputy Governor of Gbudue State, denied knowledge of the matter. However, he confirmed that there was an order issued in the capital Juba to confiscate all properties of whoever joined the armed opposition group in Gbudue State.
“But I am not sure whether it’s implemented has started in Yambio or not. The order came from the capital there, it says that the properties of those who joined the opposition should be confiscated, but I don’t know whether it has been implemented or not,” said Victor.