SSACC Want To Be Involved In Constitutional Review Process

15 February 2011 – (Juba) – The Southern Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission says it should be involved in the constitutional review process currently taking place.

Speaking to SRS in Juba on Tuesday, the deputy chairman of the commission Johnny Ayik said that there are articles in the current constitution that do not give the commission its full mandate.

[Johnny Ayik]: “We are very shocked that in the Constitutional Review Committee, the commission was not involved. We went as a commission and raised the issue with the presidency that the Anti Corruption Commission should be involved because there are articles in the constitution which do not allow the Commission to exercise its rights in the way it is supposed to be. I think the elected MPs should be more serious because they are not appointed. They are elected and they are representing the people on the ground and the people of south Sudan would like to see that this is a free corruption state. If the assembly fails to bring up issues of corruption and laws that protect public property, then they will be considered to be part of the corrupt people.”

Ayik said the commission has referred over 50 percent of cases received to respective authorities since its inception adding that they do not have powers to act against persons accused of corruption.