Millions in cash money stolen from President Kiir’s office in Juba

March 27, 2013 (WASHINGTON) – “It was shocking news to me when I woke up one morning to learn that millions in cash money which was stored in the President’s office had gone missing,” a senior aide close to South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has revealed to the Sudan Tribune.

Rumors have been circulating for days among ordinary people in the streets that a big sum of money kept in the President’s office was stolen by unknown individuals.

“It was [such] a big embarrassment that we didn’t want to talk about [it],” said the anonymous official who feared to reveal his identity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The incident occurred over the weekend when a combined cash of millions in South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) and U.S. dollars just vanished from the office despite tight security provided by the President’s protection unit in the compound.

When asked, the official could not explain why such a huge sum of cash, which he said was around six million, was kept inside the office and not in the bank.

An investigation was to be carried out in secrecy, he said, in order to avoid public outcry and because of the awareness on its negative implications on the highest office of the land.

South Sudan has been badly haunted by allegations of corruption and mismanagement of public resources. President Kiir last year had to write a letter to 75 of his officials asking them to return billions of suspected stolen money but no positive response has been publicly made known.

(ST)