The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs has downplayed the accusations made by lawmakers that organized forces have been extorting money from returnees at Paloch airstrip in Upper Nile State.
General Chol Thon says the army is not responsible for airports that are under the Ministry of Transport.
On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, the national MPs accused members of organized forces at Paloch airstrip of extorting money from returnees before taking flights to Juba.
The lawmakers say the move has deprived some returnees of access to chartered flights and rendered them helpless.
The alleged practice of forces extorting money from the returnees was observed by the national parliament.
This came after several reports of senior officers from organized forces being involved in corruption malpractices at the evacuation centres.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Albino Akol Atak confirms the prevalence of such practices to the August House.
“Some of them [organized forces] after a plane is hired, they go and deceive these returnees that this is a commercial flight and they take money from them. In the end, some cannot access the plane. This has been happening and we witnessed it”. said Albino Akol.
For his part, the national Minister of Defence, Gen. Chol Thon declined to comment on the matter.
However, he said Paloch airstrip lies under the National Ministry of Transport, not the army.
“On the behaviours of the SSPDF personnel in Paloch, the army is not responsible for the airport,”
“Paloch is not a military airport. It is an airport belonging to the government of South Sudan under the Ministry of Transport in Juba,
“In all these airports you get some responsibilities belonging to the Interior Ministry and National Security Ministry,
“I don’t see the reason why I should go and answer these questions, so I will not answer them right now”.