South Sudan: Several officials appear in court for corruption scandal

Several people, including two senior officials in the office of the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Myardit on Tuesday appeared in court in Juba, the capital, on charges of corruption. The officials are accused of forging the signature of the president ......

Several people, including two senior officials in the office of the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Myardit on Tuesday appeared in court in Juba, the capital, on charges of corruption.The officials are accused of forging the signature of the president and using it to get millions of dollars from the South Sudan central bank.

The hearing, which began on Monday, involves senior officials and several other junior workers believed to have played a role in forging President Salva Kiir’s seals and signature to secure approval and release of millions of South Sudanese pounds from the central bank.

The accused are Yel Luol Kur, chief executive director in the Office of the President and Mayen Wol Jong, chief administrator in the Office of the President, both of whom appeared in court on Monday after several months in detention.

Among the junior officials accused of involvement in the case are Anne Christos Ladu, accountant at the Office of the President, Chaat Paul, Director of Communication at General Administration Office and Francis Justin, employee of ministry of finance, who were also in court in connection with the allegations of involvement in the network of forgery to steal millions of dollars from the bank.

Also accused of involvement in the scam are the Controller of Accounts in the Office of the President and the Executive Director at the office of the Secretary-General for Decentralization as well as Anyang Mijok, a cashier at the central bank.

The scandal surfaced and became public knowledge when in 2015 security operatives suspected and arrested John Agou, a security officer attached to the office of the president in possession of the Republican seals and papers with letterhead of the office of the president.