South Sudan minister denies stashing $15 million in foreign bank
The Minister of Finance and Planning Dier Tong Ngor has denied embezzling 15 million U.S dollars alleged to have been stashed on his bank account in neighboring Uganda.
“Unfounded reports are circulating on social media alleging that Hon Dr. Dier Tong Ngor, Minister of Finance and Planning, is being investigated by our security authorities on the charges of having embezzled USD 15 million and transferred it to a certain National Bank in Uganda,” the ministry of finance said in a statement issued in Juba on Wednesday.
This came after social media went abuzz with allegations that Minister Ngor was being grilled by security for corruption.
“We also urge the public to be cautious with sources of information, and be vigilant of those with ulterior motives of feeding us with misleading information to cause disruptions to our reform agenda,” it said.
The ministry said that those accusing Ngor are aiming at derailing ongoing finance reforms stipulated under the 2018 revitalized peace agreement signed to end years of conflict in the youngest nation.
“I was aware when I was honored with the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance and Planning that I would be facing pernicious resistance from those benefiting from the inherent weakness in our public finance system. I shall, therefore, not be deterred or intimidated in my quest to strengthen our Public Finance Management (PFM) system and to serve our people with dignity, honesty, and integrity,” Ngor said.
