Gov’t dismisses as ‘exaggeration’ claims dredging machines came with bulletproof vehicles

JUB A – South Sudan’s ministry of water resources and irrigation has dismissed – as exaggeration – a claim by a lawmaker of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party that the dredging machines which are already in Unity State came along with bulletproof military vehicles.

Yesterday, lawmaker and former deputy minister of interior Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit claimed in a statement that he has information confirming that the dredging machines which arrived in June to Bentiu from Egypt came along with bulletproof vehicles.

“On the research I made, the heavy machines & equipment to do the dredging are already in Unity State. I was informed by my source that the whole equipment with containers was not allowed to be opened by Customs officers for checking,” Gen. Mathok claimed.

“The source confirmed to me that some bulletproof vehicles are in that huge consignment. It’s very suspicious, who is going to use those bulletproof vehicles?” He asked.

But speaking to Sudans Post when contacted, Gattiek Gatkuoth Wichar, the spokesman of late Minister Manawa, said the claim by the lawmaker is not true and that he was exaggerating the situation and urged the citizens not to listen to him.

“That’s not true he is just exaggerating the situation at the time when the team of experts is formed by Presidency to lecture the public on pros and cons of the dredging project,” he told Sudans Post from the capital Juba.

“The public should just wait for Friday Discourse and engage with experts instead of making assumptions on the matter,” he added.