OFAC Sanctions South Sudan Businessmen, Companies for Corruption
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two South Sudan businessmen and six entities for involvement in corruption -- including bribes, kickbacks and procurement fraud -- with senior government officials, Treasury said in an Oct. 11 press release. The two men, Ashraf Seed Ahmed Al-Cardinal and Kur Ajing Ater, were designated under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The sanctioned companies include five owned by Al-Cardinal and one owned by Ajing.
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The South Sudan government used Al-Cardinal as an intermediary to hold “a large amount” of money outside of South Sudan, Treasury said. In one instance, a government official used Al-Cardinal’s bank account to store personal funds and avoid U.S. sanctions, the press release said. The government made “millions” of dollars in payments to one of Al-Cardinal’s companies in 2019 and listed the reason as “food,” but the money actually went to senior government officials, Treasury said.
In a separate case, a company partially owned by Al-Cardinal imported “amphibious armored vehicles” into South Sudan that allowed the country to commit “violent attacks on innocent civilians.” Al-Cardinal’s designated companies include Alcardinal General Trading Limited, Alcardinal General Trading, Al Cardinal Investments Co, Alcardinal Petroleum Company limited and NILETEL.
Ajing bribed government officials to maintain influence and access to the country’s oil market, “curry favor” with the government and “ensure the silence and compliance of key government officials,” Treasury said. The government also made a “large cash payment” to Ajing in 2018 for “food” but it went directly to government officials, the press release said. OFAC designated Lou Trading and Investment Company, which is owned by Ajing.