The chairperson of the specialized committee for health in the Lakes State assembly has been suspended by the acting speaker due to allegations of corruption made by the state commissioner of the revenue authority.
The allegations claim that the chairperson had been collecting illegal taxes from private clinics and pharmacies in Rumbek Market.
According to a suspension letter obtained by Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Honourable Samuel Mawuor Majak has been accused of breaching his mandate as stipulated in Article 56(2) of the Lakes State Transitional Constitution of 2011.
The letter states that Mr. Majak misused his powers and refused to resign from his position as he had previously admitted, instead accusing the assembly of working against him. He also disobeyed the advice of the assembly’s leadership to apologize.
Zechariah Puoric Matuong, the chairperson of the Lakes State Assembly’s specialized committee for Information and Communication, confirmed the suspension to Radio Tamazuj on Monday.
He explained that they held an extraordinary meeting of the assembly’s leadership, called by the acting speaker, where they presented the commissioner’s letter accusing the chairperson of the health committee of collecting money in the market. Matuong stated that the collection was related to pharmacies and clinics in Rumbek, Lakes State, and the amount involved was 111,500 South Sudanese pounds.
During the discussion, it was revealed that the money had been collected by someone accompanying Mr. Majak. As a result, the assembly’s leadership decided on two resolutions. Firstly, they demanded that Mr. Majak apologizes to the leadership of the assembly, which could be extended to the entire house if the assembly reopened. Secondly, according to the assembly’s regulation of the conduct of business, which includes provisions for removal of a committee chairperson, they agreed that Mr. Majak should resign from his position. He accepted this decision and agreed to step down.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Samuel Mawuor Majak, the chairperson of the specialized committee for health in the Lakes State assembly, denies any involvement in collecting money from private clinics and pharmacies in Rumbek Market.
He argues that his actions were in accordance with the law, as he was conducting an assessment of the clinics and pharmacies in response to reports of government medicines being sold in private establishments. Mr. Majak claims that he reported the issue to Juba, and the leadership is addressing it.
He further explains that the accusations against him were made by individuals who were angered by his discovery of the sale of government drugs in private clinics and pharmacies.
He asserts that the claims of collecting taxes in the market are unfounded, as there is no proper identification or visible documentation of such taxes being levied. According to him, accusations should be supported by visible documents bearing the stamps and receipt numbers of the office responsible for tax collection.
Mr. Majak disputes the decision made by a leadership group of six individuals, in which three voted in favour of his suspension while three others declined to vote.
He argues that according to the law, a decision concerning the leadership of a committee requires a two-thirds majority and the involvement of the legal advisor and minister of parliamentary affairs.