S. Sudan investigating 10 officials over financial forms scandal
July 8, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan is investigating officials it says stole financial forms used in clearing goods at border entry points with neighbouring countries.
The suspects, most of whom are officials at the ministry of finance and economic planning, include director general of store, Dut Aleu.
The government’s prosecutor general at the ministry of justice, Filberto Mayuot Deng, said the suspects have been arrested and are being questioned to establish the actual amount of money they may have acquired after issuing financial forms from business groups crossing into the country.
“It has been difficult knowing how many forms were stolen and used to collect money. The officials involved were not able to cooperate with the investigators since they were arrested. Some of the forms were found circulating in the markets being used by some clearing agents in clearing goods”, Deng said on Sunday during an exclusive interview with Sudan Tribune.
He says the government was still auditing its records to establish the number of forms stolen.
“It is difficult to say the amount of money collected using these forms. It could be million, it could hundreds of thousands. We think the amount of money collected is huge but I cannot tell you the exact amount of money because the forms are not known. The investigation is trying to establish from the record the exact number of forms which were in the store so that we are able to know how many forms have been used”, Deng added.
He says the forms were kept in the office of the ministry of finance from where they were allegedly stolen by officials who later acted as custom officers at Nimule, one of the busiest border points between South Sudan and neighbouring Uganda.
The official says that investigators allege that the suspects had been stopping commercial vehicles carrying goods before they reached official clearing points since the beginning of March and demanding payment.
No official charges have so far been filed against the suspects.
“No charges have been filed against them (the suspects) at the moment because the investigation is still gathering facts to determine whether [there] is sufficient [evidence] against those who have not been placed under arrest. When the investigation is completed we will know what to do next”, Deng said.
He added that the investigation process had been further delayed due to the escape of one of the key suspects from detention in May, which had forced the investigating committee to start new procedures.
CLAIMS SUSPECTS BRIBED WAY OUT OF PRISON
Meanwhile, one official source, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed that each of the suspects was required to pay 60,000 South Sudanese pounds for bail regardless of the charges levelled against them.
According to the source, some of those who were able to pay were immediately set free, while those who failed to pay were sent to Juba central prison on remand.
(ST)