Sigal Mandelker, the U.S. Treasury undersecretary of terrorism and financial intelligence. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG NEWS

The United States says it has launch an independent investigation to determine whether some South Sudanese leaders have used corrupt means to secure properties in the East African countries.

An American official said they are looking into the accounts of President Salva Kiir, Dr. Riek Machar and other senior government and opposition leaders accused of money laundering and profiting from the four years conflict.

This week, The Sentry, a research body of the U.S based Enough Project urged Kenya, Uganda and the US to investigate and seize corruption proceeds from South Sudan that have been invested in real estates in the region.

The U.S Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Sigal Mandelker met with officials from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and bank Executives in Nairobi.

In her address to the media, Ms Sigal said Kenya has the obligation to investigate and prosecute South Sudanese leaders hiding assets in its territory.

She said the Treasury department will impose sanctions on individuals found to have engaged in advancing the war in South Sudan through money laundering.

“We will impose consequences, we will cut off your access to the U.S financial systems, and we will work with our partners in this region and elsewhere to do the same,” she warned.

The Sentry has identified properties in Nairobi and Kampala in the possession of South Sudanese current and former officials.

However, none of the South Sudanese leaders mentioned has so far officially confirmed or disputed the findings.

Enough Project’s Co-Founder, John Prendergast says it is in the interest of Kenya and Uganda to locate, investigate, and — if warranted — seize these properties:

“If Kenya is seen by the international financial community as the regional destination for the proceeds of corruption in South Sudan, it risks serious damage to its image as a safe place for multinational banks to do business.”

According to U.S officials, the United States Treasury Department could declare the purchase of real estate outside South Sudan by government-connected elites to be a primary money-laundering concern.

Last year, the department sanctioned current and former government officials, and business persons by freezing their assets that may be within the U.S. jurisdictions, ban them from traveling to the U.S. and bar Americans from doing business with them.