South Sudan’s High Court on Thursday gave the defense team for the 16 accused persons at the Office of the Presidency the chance to cross-examine Chief Investigator Maj Gen. Basilio Thomas Wani over the prosecution evidences that he presented to the court earlier this week.
The chief administrator and other officials of the Office of the President last year were arrested for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars by forging stamps and signatures.
Giir Chol, a defense lawyer of the nine accused person, on Thursday asked the investigator how they found that the documents plus the stamps are forged rather than the authentic seal and signature of the president.
The investigator replied that they took the documents to experts at a laboratory in Kigali, Rwanda for analysis.
Defence lawyer Chol also asked the investigator on the procedures used by the National Security to obtain the computers and stamps in the house of John Agou and Click Company:
The investigator replied, “The stamps were brought from Click Technical Company which belongs to the first accused John Agou by the security personnel. Regarding the computers, which we got from Click Company, they belong to John Agou, of course when the experts opened the two computers and checked the data inside they found the computer related to John Agou.”
The investigator further said that he himself and three other investigators took the allegedly forged document to experts in Rwanda to verify the documents. He said, “They proved that the signature which was denied by the accused Yel Loul is his signature.”
The court is expected to sit again on 9 March for other defense lawyers also to have the chance to question the investigator over the prosecution evidence.
Among the accused are:
– Yel Loul Kur, chief executive director in the Office of President
– Mayan Wol Jong, chief administrator in the Office of President
– Controller of accounts in the Office of President.
– The overall controller of accounts in the Office of President
– Anne Christos Ladu, accountant at the Office of the President
– Executive Director at the office of the Secretary-General for Decentralization
– Chaat Paul, Director of Communication at General Administration Office
– Francis Justin, employee of ministry of finance
– Anyang Mijok, cashier of the central bank
Related:
Evidence presented in presidency corruption case