Report pins Western Equatoria minister in land scam
The now-suspended Western Equatoria state Minister of Housing, Land and Public Utilities has been found guilty of dubious dealing in land transactions.
Simon Peter Sarawasi, who was earlier suspended on May 12 by Governor of Western Equatoria state Alfred Futuyo has been implicated for wrongdoing in a new report released by Isaac Okwara Alphonse, the Secretary of Yambio County Land Authority.
The report handed over to Governor Futuyo alleges that Sarawasi illegally sold plots in Yambio Municipality without following legal procedures.
It says that Sarawasi sold properties belonging to the state ministry of housing, land and public utilities.
Some of these properties sold off include, land on which Yabongo Secondary School sits.
“Sarawasi sold the land that belongs to Nabima Primary school to a civil society organization,” it reveals.
It implicates the accused of being responsible for selling all electrical equipment belonging to the ministry of housing and land in the state.
“He directed Eng. Mohammed Ahmed to sell two commercial plots to his lordship bishop of Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Sudan and Sudan Peter Anibati Abia,” it discloses.
It notes that the plots sold to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Sudan and Sudan occurred during the time Sarawasi got stuck in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
It mentions the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Peter Mayen and Deputy Mayor of Yambio municipality Patrick Mukanga as some of the other beneficiaries of this land scam.
“He (Sarawasi) sold commercial land in Yabongo Secondary School area to Petit Baba, the plot number 25 Block G in an area where the Vice President for Service Cluster (Hussein Abdelbagi Akol) ordered for demolition,” It adds.
Efforts to reach Sarawasi by this newspaper for comment were futile as he could not pick up our reported calls on his known phone number by press time.
The accused on May 13th denied selling off land and properties in an interview with Juba-based Eye Radio.
He also threatened to sue Governor Alfred Futuyo.
