UAE denies detaining son of Sudanese oil minister

October 12, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have dismissed reports circulated this month that it had detained the son of the Sudanese oil minister Awad al-Jaz over $10 million he was carrying at Dubai International airport.

The claim was initially made, without mentioning names of the official or his son, by opposition figure from the National Umma Party (NUP) Mubarak al-Fadil in interviews he gave to several TV networks.

Al-Fadil suggested that families of senior Sudanese officials were trying to repatriate funds abroad in the wake of deadly protests that erupted earlier this month.

Other reports later said that the 27-years old Ammar al-Jaz was taken into custody as he was not able to explain the source of the funds he was carrying.

But UAE security sources speaking to Dubai-based Khaleej Times newspaper today denied the allegations and said that Ammar was only transiting via Dubai.

The sources went on to say that police and security officials did not find anything amiss as the money he was carrying was legally transferred by the Sudan central bank. They did not confirm or deny the exact sum he had in his possession.

It is not clear in what capacity Ammar was in hold of money cleared by Sudan’s highest monetary authority. Khartoum did not make any comment on the alleged incident.

(ST)