South Sudan’s justice minister on Monday dismissed as fabricated a document circulating on social media that alleges a leaked investigation linking former Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel to financial transfers involving members of President Salva Kiir’s family and other senior officials.
Justice Minister Michael Makuei Lueth told reporters in Juba that the document, titled “Investigation Committee Leak Report: Bol Mel Electronic Diary in June 2024”, was false and likely generated using artificial intelligence.
“What you have seen about the list which is said to be a leak from the investigation committee is not true. It is an artificial intelligence work and as such should not be considered,” Makuei said.
He said the alleged report did not originate from any official inquiry body and could not have been legitimately produced or leaked.
“The investigation committee cannot under any circumstances be exposing issues to do with the investigation if any at all, because they are duty bound to keep whatever information that they have within themselves,” he added.
The document, widely shared on social media, purports to detail entries from an electronic diary allegedly linked to Bol Mel, obtained through a former financial manager identified as “Mr. Tim”. It claims to list multiple transactions amounting to millions of US dollars to senior officials, business figures, and members of the president’s family.
Among the claims are alleged transfers including $20 million to Monica Achol Abel Aguek from former finance minister Baak Barnaba Chol, $10 million to Adut Salva Kiir, $3.5 million to Ayang Salva Kiir and $300,000 to Manut Salva Kiir, alongside other payments to political and military figures.
Makuei, who heads the committee investigating Bol Mel, said the material bore no official markings and did not reflect any findings of the investigating authorities.
“What we are seeing these days is that social media has gone viral and has gone wild. People are writing all unnecessary information, creating a lot of stories which are not verified,” he said.
He warned media organisations against amplifying unverified claims, saying misinformation could have legal consequences.
“So from this angle, I call upon all the media houses to respect and abide by whatever information you get. Because if we are to continue in that way, then definitely at the end of the day, we may go into crisis or some of us may go into custody and prisons,” Makuei said.
He added that South Sudan’s Cybersecurity and Computer Crimes Act was in force and could be used to track those spreading false information.
“The social media is not meant for anybody to misuse. It is meant to be used for the benefit of the users, but not to be abused and misused,” he said.
“As you know very well, we have passed the Cybersecurity and Computer Crimes Act. It is now operational and we are capable of tracing whatever you put on social media. And we are capable of tracing that person and we will get hold of him.”
He said users who forward such material could also be held liable.
“If you forward, you get it, and then you forward it, you are an accomplice,” he said.
Dr. Abraham Telar Ring Deng, a member of the investigation and prosecution committee, also rejected the document, calling it “fraudulent” and “a total provocation”.
“This material is a total provocation and is categorized as a baseless work of fiction,” Telar said.
He said the committee had no record of any electronic diary or financial claims referenced in the circulating document.
“The committee maintained no record of the electronic diary or specific financial claims referenced in the circulating material. Any narratives, names or figures presented in the document are entirely external to the committee work and hold no factual or legal standing,” he said.
Telar added that the document appeared intended to damage reputations and undermine ongoing inquiries.
“This document is groundless, invention designed specifically to cause unnecessary reputational damage to the cited individuals,” he said.
He also said official findings are not released as “leak reports” and are only issued through formal government channels.
“The official findings of this body are never titled leak reports and are disseminated exclusively through secure classified government channels,” he said.
Authorities said they would investigate the origin of the document, describing it as part of a broader disinformation effort.
The denial comes amid heightened online speculation over an ongoing investigation involving senior officials, which has fuelled political debate on social media.
Bol Mel, a businessman-turned-politician and once a close ally of President Salva Kiir, was placed under house arrest on Nov. 12, 2025.
His detention marked a sharp fall from influence after a rapid rise within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). Kiir appointed him vice president in February 2025 and later named him first deputy chairman of the SPLM in May, moves widely seen as consolidating his role in the party.
Following his arrest, Bol Mel was removed from his posts as vice president and SPLM deputy leader, stripped of his military rank and dismissed from service.
His detention came amid heightened political tensions and speculation over succession in the country.
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