By William Madouk
Former Finance and Planning Minister Aggrey Tisa Sabuni has refuted reports alleging that his purported son was among 27 military officers detained by security authorities for an alleged coup plot.
Sudan Post online news agency in its article quoted an anonymous source who it alleged revealed that one military officer named Colonel Sunday Tisa Sabuni of the NSS is among those arrested.
“I don’t have a son called Sunday Tisa Sabuni, let alone working with the NSS at the rank of a Colonel,” former minister, Aggrey Tisa Sabuni thrashed the allegation against his family.
Aggrey Tisa Sabuni, in his statement seen by the No. 1 Citizen Newspaper, said he has received numerous phone calls from both domestic and international sources regarding the alleged arrest of 27 military officers for a coup attempt against the government.
“And that one of the alleged coup plotters, going by the name Col. Sunday Tisa Sabuni of the National Security Service (NSS), is my son. The various callers kept on referring me to the SUDANS POST news outlet as their source of information,” he continued.
“I am hereby categorically stating that I don’t have a son called Sunday Tisa Sabuni, let alone working with the NSS at the rank of a Colonel.”
Mr. Sabuni said the allegation was not only malicious but also meant to tarnish his good name, reputation, and public image.
“Interestingly, the publication stopped short of naming the other 26 alleged coup plotters but just concentrated on highlighting my name,” the ex-finance minister wondered.
“I am therefore demanding an apology and the immediate retraction of this publication by the SUDAN POST, or else I reserve my right to legal action,” he threatened.
According to the SUDAN POST, Colonel Sunday Tisa Sabuni was among the untrusted individuals among the 17 NSS officers who have been arrested, leading to the heavy deployment of forces in the streets of Juba.
But, South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang, in a statement on Monday, described the coup claims as unfounded allegations made by people he said are “liars.”
“If there had been an attempted coup, things could not have become normal like they are now in Juba,” Lul emphasized.