Juba International Airport - Courtesy Photo by Akuot Chol / AFP)

An officer at the department of Nationality, Passport and Immigration has been arrested trying to exit the country with 16,000 USD and 1 million pounds over the weekend, says Airport official.

Colonel Manguen Dut who is the Deputy Director of Passport and Immigration at Juba International Airport, said the unnamed officer  being held in custody is a sergeant in the finance section of the Immigration Department.

“ Yes, the person who has been arrested is a police officer belonging to the passport division, but the money is less than that is $16,000, he was arrested and now is under the responsibility of police professional standards,” he confirmed to Eye Radio.

Dut told Eye Radio the suspect, who is a police sergeant, is under investigation by the professional standard.

He said the officer was reportedly sent by the office of the Nationality, Passport and Immigration Department to go and withdraw the money.

“He withdrew it from the bank and he did not come back to the office,” Manguen said.

After withdrawing the cash, the officer allegedly changed his mind and switch off his phone.

He then rushed to the airport in a desperate heist to Nairobi- Kenya before he was intercepted and arrested by the airport security.

Dut however, clarified that the money is $16,000 plus 1 million SSP, and not $52,000 as circulated on social media.

“When he was arrested on Sunday and at this moment I can remember that there was $ 16,000 and one million SSP and if converted to USD it can reach $2,000 and $16,000 and it can reach $18,000, but is not in that amount that you got or is circulating on social media.”  
 
Last year, the UN’s Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan reported that a “staggering” amount of money and other wealth had been diverted from the public coffers and resources.

The UN Agency’s chair Yasmin Sooka said the UN documented the stealing of more than $73m through corruption, embezzlement, bribery and misappropriation of state funds by political elites since 2018.