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Police investigating 6 after civil servants salary disappear in Torit

Author: Moyo Jacob Felix | Published: November 8, 2024

Aerial view of Torit, the capital of Eastern Equatoria State | Credit | Courtesy

Law enforcement agents in Torit County in Eastern Equatoria State are investigating six suspects in connection with the disappearance of unspecified amount of money meant for the payment of salaries of civil servants.

Torit Commissioner Christopher Andrew said the incident discovered on Monday morning has left six county finance officers under suspicion, although no charges have been filed as authorities continue to gather information.

Andrew said his administration is working to determine the stolen amount. The missing fund was designated for November 2023 salary – with some payments already issued on Friday and Saturday before the incident took place.

The Commissioner said the theft likely occurred either on Saturday evening or Sunday, as it was discovered on November 4.

Commissioner Andrew said police officers are actively working on the case, but further details have not yet been released amid the pending investigation.

“An accident took place in the headquarter of the county, salaries of the staff have been stolen. That’s why police came for investigation and they took them as suspects and investigation is still going on,” he said.

“The investigation is still going on, after that investigation, we will know. We had already started paying the staff, we paid them on Friday and Saturday. This accident took place either Saturday evening or Sunday because we discovered this issue on Monday morning.”

“They (suspects) are six in number. The amount missing is not yet known because the committee is still working on it, verifying the balance and then deducting the expected stolen money.”

Civil servants and members of the regular forces in South Sudan have not been paid for the last one year – in what has been blamed on an economic crisis caused by the rapture of oil pipeline – but which President Kiir has attributed to the mismanagement of non-oil revenue by finance officials.

 

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