The United Nations Human Rights Commission on Wednesday revealed that high ranking South Sudanese politicians have stolen over $36 million in public funds since 2016.
The commission’s chairperson Yasmin Sooka, while submitting the report to the UN Human Rights Council said the commission was only able to trace the $36 million, which could be the tip of the iceberg.
“Our Commission has uncovered brazen embezzlement by senior politicians and government officials, together with a number of entities linked to the government. We can reveal the misappropriation of a staggering $36m since 2016,” she said.
The UN report comes days after President Salva Kiir fired the country’s finance minister, the head of the National Revenue Authority, and the director of the state-owned oil company, Nilepet.
According to Sooka, the illegal financial movements are traced to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the National Revenue Authority.
“Some of this money has been laundered through the purchase of properties abroad. Indeed, those properties may well be in your countries,” she added.
The commission has in the past accused South Sudan politicians of stealing state funds.
This report comes as the government grapples a depreciating South Sudanese pound and soaring market prices.