Can the case of Gen. Thomas Cirillo be a great lesson for some of us in south Sudan?
By William Abur, Melbourne, Australia
February 22, 2017 (SSB) — I’m writing about General Thomas Cirillo not because I’m not happy with the situation to what happened to my comrade General Thomas Cirillo, but extremely upset with his advisers. The aim of this article is to caution what so leaders in South Sudan and their advisers. We cannot afford for a long time to keep misleading our great leaders like General Thomas Cirillo to fall in the hole.
In my personal view, I strongly believe that rebel or people who were or are still against the government, particularly his own advisers had misled General Thomas Cirillo into this mess. The question to us is can General Thomas Cirillo’s case is a great lesson to some of us, particularly those share ill advice to our leaders like as General Thomas Cirillo?
According the current news on social media, Kenya government has freezes1. 03b shillings ($10m USD) which were looted by General Thomas Cirillo. Some people within Kenya Government have called for the deportation of General Thomas Cirilo with his sister Fueni to South Sudan to answer theft charges.
Yes, to answer charges, according to the laws because Ksh 1.03 billion believed to have been looted from the SPLA’s logistics account by General Thomas Cirilo has been traced to the bank accounts of Thomas Cirillo and his sister Fueni a student studying human resources in university in Kenya. Money was traced from the Kenya Commercial Bank and Cooperative Bank of Kenya.
It was believed that General Thomas Cirilo was under investigation with some officers from his Department before he resigned from government and accused government led by President Kiir as a tribal government. General knew that he had stolen enough money for his family and his supporters, he decided to resign and speak loudly without checking himself well.
What so called rebel group had celebrated on social media and praised General Thomas Cirillo as a man who answered the call for his people. Perhaps, his advisers had strong celebration on the day General resigned from the Government, but I’m not sure if they are now crying together with General and his family.
What a misleading advice? Why General accepts such poor and ill advice to destroy his legacy and family? There is no doubt, he will be known as a theft in history regardless great achievements as he has done exceptional work during the struggle and during his time in government led by president Kiir Mayardit.
There is no law that will defend General and his family members who were involved in stealing ($10m USD) from the government. The only way is General answer charges and clean himself otherwise, he is a criminal by law and deserve whatever punishment under law.
To me, I blame his advisers as people who aimed to put him down. Other leaders must check their advisers well and be careful with their advice.
William Abur is a Ph.D. candidate at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, finishing his Ph.D. research in areas of social work and sociology. He is also a social worker working in high school in student well-being area and accredited mental health social worker. He can be reached via his email: William Abur william.abur@gmail.com
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