Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia will no longer serve as chairperson of the committee tasked to investigate oil pre-sale contracts after being replaced by Awou Daniel Chuang, the government said.

In a letter signed on June 21, President Salva Kiir set out the terms of reference for the investigation committee to be chaired by Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Martin Elia Lomuro. The committee was expected to report back to Kiir within 14 working days.

Information Minister Michael Makuei said President Salva Kiir had removed Martin Elia Lomuro and replaced him with Minister of Petroleum, Awou Daniel Chuang.

“There is a change in the order and the chair was changed, so the new chair had to take new measures in order to start,” Makuei said.

The information minister pointed out that the investigation committee has not yet filed its report. 

Makuei, who was speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting in Juba today, did not say when Martin was replaced. It remains unclear what prompted the president to replace the head of the investigation committee.

Besides probing the pre-sale process, payments and taxes, the committee was tasked to coordinate with the country’s auditor general to reconcile payments and liabilities against the government.

The world’s youngest country is struggling to increase oil production, months after the signing of the peace deal in September 2018.