By Deng Machol
JUBA, South Sudan — South Sudan’s justice authorities have dismissed a document circulating on social media that purports to be a leaked investigation implicating former Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, calling it a fabrication and warning that it is part of a broader wave of disinformation targeting senior officials.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, officials said the document—titled “Investigation Committee Leak Report; Bol Mel Electronic Diary”—has no connection to any official inquiry and does not originate from the ministry or any authorized investigative body.
Justice Minister Michael Makuei Lueth described the document as “a total fabrication” and “a baseless work of fiction,” rejecting its contents outright.
The ministry’s Investigation and Prosecution Committee said it has no record of any “electronic diary” or the financial allegations referenced in the circulating material. It added that the individuals, figures, and narratives cited in the document are not associated with any ongoing or past investigations under its mandate and carry no legal standing.
Officials also questioned the document’s authenticity and method of circulation, stressing that legitimate government findings are never issued as “leak reports” or shared through anonymous digital channels. Instead, they are released through formal and secured government communication systems.
“As a matter of standard procedure, the Committee confirms that any document surfacing via anonymous digital channels is, by definition, a forgery lacking any institutional legitimacy,” the statement said.
The committee further noted that the document lacks basic official markers, including letterheads, serial numbers, authentication codes, and other standard identifiers required for any government-issued communication or investigative report.
It characterized the material as a “groundless invention” intended to damage reputations and distort public understanding of legal processes, warning that it could “prejudice the legal environment” and undermine confidence in state institutions.
Authorities emphasized that the content bears no resemblance to any active investigations and urged the public to treat it as entirely false.
The Ministry of Justice also called on media organizations and social media users to rely exclusively on verified government statements and official channels when reporting on legal or investigative matters.
Officials warned that the spread of falsified documents not only misleads the public but also risks undermining accountability mechanisms and weakening the integrity of the justice system.
The statement comes amid growing concerns in South Sudan over the rapid circulation of unverified political content online, often shared through messaging platforms and social media channels, which authorities say increasingly target senior government figures and institutions.
