October 11, 2019

South Sudanese businessmen designated by OFAC

The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury has sanctioned two individuals and six companies owned by them pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.  The sanctioned individuals, Ashraf Seed Ahmed Al-Cardinal and Kur Ajing Ater, are citizens of South Sudan, and have been sanctioned for supporting corruption and the misappropriation of state assets.  According to OFAC, Al Cardinal serves as an intermediary to a senior South Sudanese government official for the purpose of depositing and holding money outside of the country, and the South Sudanese government paid millions of dollars to a company owned by Al-Cardinal, and the funds were diverted for corrupt purposes.  Similarly, OFAC has designated Ajing for using bribes to curry favor with South Sudanese government officials, particularly those who control the oil trade.

As a result of these designations, US property of the designated individuals and companies is blocked, and transactions by US persons involving such persons and property are generally prohibited.  In addition, the approval, financing, facilitation or guarantee by a US person, whether in the US or elsewhere, of a transaction prohibited by Executive Order 13818 if performed within the US, is prohibited.

US Dept. of the Treasury press release