Sep 15, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) slaped more economic sanctions on Nabah Ltd, a company owned by Ashraf Seed Ahmed Al-Cardinal (Al-Cardinal) and Co. for their involvement in bribery, kickbacks and procurement fraud with senior South Sudanese government officials.
Al-Cardinal is a Sudanese businessman who is intrinsically involved with the South Sudanese politicians to an extend that he had to be sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in October 2019.
According to the U.S. Department of State, despite the previous sanctions, Al-Cardinal found an alternative company Nabah Ltd that is being used to bail out corrupt South Sudanese politicians who are sanctioned by the United States of America.
“Al-Cardinal was designated for engaging in corruption, including participating in bribery, kickbacks, and procurement fraud involving senior South Sudanese government officials.” Said Michael Pompeo, the U.S Secretary of State.
The United States has learned that through Al-Cardinal and his Companies, the corrupt South Sudanese politicians still find ways to circumvent U.S sanctions by sneaking money out of the country and keep them in private bank accounts that are designated to Al-Cardinal and his companies.
“He and his companies act as intermediaries for depositing and holding large amounts of funds for senior-level South Sudanese officials outside of South Sudan in an attempt to avoid sanctions.” Hon. Pompeo continued.
The U.S. Secretary of State believes that through these sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13818 that builds on the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the Trump Administration will be able to target perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption.
“These South Sudanese elites and corrupt government officials have drained state coffers and usurped the country’s resources with impunity. Al-Cardinal and Ajing leverage their businesses and political connections to engage in corruption at great expense to the South Sudanese people,” said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
“The South Sudanese government must take urgent measures to increase transparency and enforce accountability against those involved in systemic corruption. Privileged elites should not be allowed to profit from conflict as they undermine efforts to bring lasting peace to South Sudan.” He added.
Nabah Ltd. is the sixth company owned or controlled by Al-Cardinal to be subject to U.S. sanctions.
Pompeo said the United States is committed to the enforcement of its sanctions, including through targeting sanctions evasion schemes such as the one carried out by Al-Cardinal and his businesses.
Speaking today from Washington, the Deputy Secretary Justin G. Muzinich stressed that bad actors rely on their network and front companies like Nabah Ltd to evade sanctions and conceal their illicit activities.
“Bad actors rely on their networks and front companies to evade sanctions and conceal their illicit activities,” said Deputy Secretary Justin G. Muzinich.
“We will continue to use our authorities to prevent such illicit funds from moving freely through the international financial system.” He added.
Nabah is owned or controlled by Ashraf Seed Ahmed Al-Cardinal (Al-Cardinal) and is registered in the United Kingdom.
Al-Cardinal was previously designated on October 11, 2019, for his involvement in bribery, kickbacks and procurement fraud with senior government officials.
According to the U.S. Secretary of State, Al-Cardinal himself was part of a sanctions evasion scheme in which a senior South Sudanese official used a bank account in the name of one of Al-Cardinal’s companies to store his personal funds in an attempt to avoid the effects of U.S. sanctions.
“Al-Cardinal and his companies act as intermediaries to deposit and hold large amounts of funds for senior-level South Sudanese officials outside of South Sudan in an attempt to avoid sanctions.” Read part of the Secretary of State’s Press statement.
“Nabah is designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Al-Cardinal.” The Statement further added.
The United. States has sanctioned numerous individuals including one of the Vice President Taban Deng Gai for his involvement in corruptions and death of politicians, lawyers and journalists.
These sanctions came at a time South Sudan economy is boiling up as the South Sudanese pound continues to depreciate and prices for commodities are skyrocketing.
South Sudan has ran out of foreign reserves and senior politicians, who own mansions for their families and friends aboard, civil war and oil market crises are to be blamed for the ongoing hyper inflation in the world’s youngester nation.
