September 19, 2024   In response to the recent allegations involving Geners Limited in a purported corruption scandal linked to Honorable Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister for Information, Communication Technology (ICT), and Postal Services, we categorically deny any involvement in corrupt practices. The claims are centered on contracts awarded between Geners Limited, the Ministry of ICT, and its two parastatals—the National Communication Authority (NCA) and South Sudan International Gateway (SSIGW). We strongly believe that these allegations are politically motivated and stem from internal power struggles within the Ministry and its state corporations and are aimed at shifting blame from the actions of Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai, the current Director General of NCA, to Geners Limited and others who have lawfully conducted business with the Ministry. It worths noting that Geners Limited has been in a longstanding four (4) years legal dispute with the NCA, which has contributed to this campaign of misinformation. These false allegations are a deliberate tactic to deflect from the NCA’s failure to honor its contractual obligations and settle the outstanding payments due to Geners Limited -A case they have already lost in court.  About Geners Limited  Established in 2013, Geners Limited is a fully incorporated company operating under the laws of South Sudan. Over the past decade, Geners has built a reputation as a leader in various sectors, including construction, facility management, corporate cleaning services, environmental management (landscaping, lawn mowing, and pest control) supply and procurement of assorted items, and electrical equipment repair and maintenance, among others. We pride ourselves on operating with ethical practices; integrity, transparency, and professionalism across all projects.  Statement of Facts Regarding the Alleged Contracts  1. Contract for the Supply of Furniture and Electronics to the Ministry: Geners Company was initially invited by Mr. Michael Thon Mangok, the then office manager of Hon. Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister of ICT and Postal Services, to furnish the offices of  both the Minister and Deputy Minister, Hon. Baba Medan Konyi. The invitation came eight months prior to the project’s commencement, but Geners expressed hesitation, seeking a commitment to immediate payment due to previous delays experience in receiving payments for government contracts. In response, the Minister’s office assured Geners that payment would be handled by the state corporations, the National Communication Authority (NCA) and South Sudan International Gateway (SSIGW), upon completion of the furniture supply. This initiative was led by Deputy Minister Hon. Baba Medan Konyi and the Executive Director in the Minister’s office. Together, they approached the then Director General of the Ministry, Dr. Wani Lado, who also served as the NCA’s accounting officer. The three officials agreed to award the contract to Geners for the procurement of furniture, Apple computers, refrigerators, televisions, and other valuable electronics for the offices of the Minister and Deputy Minister, amounting to USD 278,490 with the understanding that payment would be made in two installments. Dr. Lado facilitated the first installment payment of USD 202,585 but was subsequently removed from his position. The responsibility for the remaining balance was transferred to Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai, who dishonored the payment agreement. This forced Geners to escalate the matter to the Minister’s office, who then directed Geners to SSIGW to settle the outstanding arrears of USD 75,905, which was ultimately paid.
All relevant approved invoices are available in our records, as well as with the NCA and South Sudan International Gateway. 2. Construction of the Perimeter Wall for Telecom House: After completing the supply of office furniture and equipment to the Ministry, Geners Company identified a significant security vulnerability at the Telecom House due to absence of Perimenter Security Fence. The premises hosted three state corporations: the National Communication Authority (NCA), the South Sudan International Gateway (IGW), and the Media Authority. Recognizing the potential risk, Geners submitted a proposal, along with an expression of interest, to the Minister of ICT and Postal Services. The Minister referred the proposal to Director General Dr. Wani Lado for further evaluation. Dr. Lado sought legal advice from the Director of Legal Affairs, Mr. Moses Mayor, who recommended that the Ministry proceed with the project. Given that Geners Limited was willing to fund the project upfront and receive payment in installments over 24 months, this arrangement was deemed feasible. The Minister directed Dr. Lado the then Director General of the NCA to form a committee to assess the nature of the work, evaluate its quality, and negotiate the terms of the contract and implementation. Following a thorough assessment and feasibility study, Geners was awarded the contract, valued at USD 3,689,735, for the construction of the perimeter security wall. On September 21, 2020, a partial payment of USD 300,000 was made as a commitment jointly by the SSIGW and NCA in installments of USD 100,000 and USD 200,000, respectively. However, shortly thereafter, Dr. Lado was removed from his position, and the project was handed over to Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai, who took over as Director General of the NCA. Upon completion of the project, Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai failed to honor the agreed payment terms, refusing to issue the certificate of completion and implement the 24-month installment plan stipulated in the contract. Despite Geners’ efforts to resolve the issue and secure the remaining payments were unsuccessful. Court Proceedings and NCA’s Non-Compliance Court Case – Part 1  After exhausting all efforts to resolve the payment dispute with the Director General of the National Communication Authority (NCA), Geners Company sought legal recourse by taking the NCA to court. The court served summon to NCA, who then notified the Minister of ICT, Hon. Michael Makuei Lueth, about the legal action. In response, the Minister intervened, organizing a meeting between Geners’ legal team and the NCA’s legal representatives, advising that the matter should be resolved through an out-of-court settlement.  the Minister’s guidance, Mr. Simon Akuei Deng was appointed to oversee the settlement process. An agreement was reached, stipulating that the NCA would pay Geners Limited the full contract value in four (4) phases, as outlined below:
First phase (January – June 2022): USD 1,000,000
Second phase (July – December 2022): USD 1,000,000
Third phase (January – June 2023): USD 1,000,000
Fourth phase (July – December 2023): USD 796,975
In good faith, Geners agreed to suspend the legal case against the NCA. However, while the NCA paid the first installment of USD 1,000,000, they defaulted on the subsequent three phases. This breach of the agreement prompted Geners Limited to reactivate the legal proceedings and return to court to seek resolution.  Court Case – Part 2  When Geners reactivated the legal case, the Director General of the NCA, Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai along with his private lawyer Mr. Benjamin Sogora Moses, appeared in court, raising grievances and claiming that the perimeter fence needed re-assessment that the cost of construction was inflated. However, the court dismissed these claims on two key grounds:  1. The NCA, being a government entity, cannot be represented by a private lawyer (Mr. Benjamin Sogora Moses). 2. Re-assessment of the completed project was not stipulated in the original contract agreement. As a result, the court ruled in favor of Geners Limited on July 23, 2024.  The Appeal By NCA  Following the court’s ruling, Director General of NCA Napoleon Adok Gai appealed the decision and simultaneously sought authorization from the Ministry of Justice seeking the power of attorney to be allowed to use his private lawyer Mr. Benjamin Sogora Moses to represent NCA, an attempt that was promptly rejected by the minister of justice. This has perhaps prompted them to seek alternatives to delay the ruling by propagating a corruption claims to negate the award of the contracts between Geners Limited and the Ministry of ICT and Postal Services, and consequently delay the court execution of the verdict. In a nutshell, the contract in question has outstanding arrears of 2,389,735 USD and additional amount of 407,240 USD for the construction of parking shades and drainage tunnels to order by the court to be paid to Geners limited.  All relevant approved documents are available in records with our lawyers and could be produced on request.  3. Cleaning Contract : The Telecom House, which belongs to the Ministry of ICT and Postal Services had empty spaces due to a small number of directorates. All parastatals such as the NCA, SSIGW and the Media Authority were renting from various locations. The Minister directed that all parastatals should relocate to Gumbo (The Telecom House) to consolidate operations and reduce rental costs, and centralizing all directorates in one location in Juba Town.  Geners was subsequently commissioned to undertake renovation work at a cost of USD 192,000, which was shared equally between the NCA and SSIGW. During the renovation and construction of the perimeter fence, there was also a need for cleaning services due to the dust generated from the work, and the subsequent arrivals of parastatals in the premises. As Geners was also offering cleaning services among its portfolio of services, they were consulted if they had capacity to provide corporate cleaning in the Telecom House complex, which they accepted. A committee formed by Napoleon Adok Gai, then CEO of Gateway, and Dr. Wani Lado, the Director General of NCA, negotiated the cleaning and maintenance contract. An agreement was reached for a monthly payment of USD 32,000, shared between the NCA, SSIGW, and the Media Authority. This cleaning contract, which ran from 2020 to 10th October 2023, was awarded in October personally by Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai to Deng and Daughters Company, owned by Aheu Deng Kudum, without the knowledge or approval of Hon. Michael Makuei Lueth. Response to Corruption Allegations  Geners Limited therefore, unequivocally rejects the baseless corruption allegations. These claims are a diversionary tactic orchestrated by Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai to shift attention away from his  failure to fulfill NCA’s contractual obligations and his ongoing refusal to comply with court orders. All contracts awarded to Geners were executed transparently and in accordance with legal procedures, and we are prepared to provide all necessary documentation to prove this.  We find it concerning that Mr. Gai has continually obstructed Geners’ efforts to secure payment for completed projects and has now resorted to maligning the company’s reputation in an attempt to escape accountability. statement  Geners Company Limited remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all its business dealings. We call on the public to see through these baseless allegations and recognize the true source of the ongoing legal and financial disputes—namely, the failure of Mr. Napoleon Adok Gai to meet the NCA’s contractual obligations. We trust in the judicial system to ensure that justice is served, and we stand firm in our commitment to transparency and ethical business practices.
We urge the public and relevant authorities to investigate these matters thoroughly and hold those responsible for deflecting blame accountable.
Issued by:
Geners Company Limited
September 19, 2024
