South Sudan security officer remains in detention over financial scandal in highest office

June 21, 2015 (JUBA) – A security officer in the office of the president has continued to remain in a closed detention after he was implicated in multi-million dollars financial scandal in what seemed to be yet another highly coordinated corruption scheme in the highest office of the land.

In early June, 1st Lt. John Agou Wuoi, while working in the office of president Salva Kiir was arrested after he was found to have allegedly forged the signature of the president to solicit the release of more than 15 million US dollars.

“John Agou is in our custody. He remains in detention at the headquarters in Jebel. A committee has already been formed to carry out proper investigation into the matter,” a source close to the presidency told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

However, the corruption to get away with 15 million US dollars appeared to have been a highly well-designed, planned and coordinated activity with senior officials in the highest office of the land who wanted to use or temporarily sacrifice the very junior officer as a scapegoat.

Many believe Wuoi could be part of a big scheme to rob the economically struggling nation of public funds. The incident is the second high profile publicly leaked financial scandal involving the office of the president in less than two years.

In early 2013 senior officials close to president Kiir were suspended for allegedly involving in stealing from office of millions of money. Investigation committee was formed but failed to charge the prime suspects. They were later reinstated to their former positions in the office of the president and nobody was charged for the disappearance of the money.

But the source told Sudan Tribune he could not confirm as of now about those involved in the latest theft of 15 million dollars from the president’s office, pending investigations.

“I cannot say anything about it now because investigation is continuing but preliminary reports appear to suggest that this is a major scheme,” he said.

Critics of the government have however been arguing that the same swindlers, some of whom were suspended in the past after they were found to have played a role in the first scam in 2013, may have played another role in the latest wave of attempts to rob the public resources.

(ST)