The former head of the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA), Simon Akuei Deng, has been detained after returning to Juba to answer questions over alleged corruption.
Akuei, who previously served as Commissioner General of the SSRA, handed himself over to the National Security Service (NSS) on Tuesday.
Authorities say the detentions form part of investigations into “financial malpractices and irregularities in the monetary system”, although it remains unclear whether formal charges have been filed.
A family member told Eye Radio that Akuei had travelled abroad on urgent private matters and returned voluntarily in what they described as an act of good faith. The family stressed there was no intention to evade authorities and urged the public to avoid speculation or politicisation of the matter.
His detention comes amid a string of high-profile arrests. Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol, a former finance minister, was intercepted in Nimule last Friday over claims he was attempting to cross into Uganda.
Former Central bank governor Moses Makur Deng has been placed under house arrest in Juba, while another former finance minister, Marial Dongrin Ater, was arrested in Rumbek and flown to the capital. Deng Lual Wol, former undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, and senior security official Manasseh Machar Bol have also been taken into custody.
Civil society activist Edmund Yakani welcomed anti-corruption efforts but urged transparency and strict adherence to due process. He cautioned that investigations must not be used to delay elections scheduled for December 2026, as the country prepares for its first national polls.
Appointed in November 2024, Akuei had been tasked with modernizing a revenue system long criticized for leakages, championing digital reforms to automate tax collection. He was dismissed in November 2025.
His career has been closely linked to businessman Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, a former vice-president who was also removed from office in November 2025 and later placed under house arrest. Both men have previously been associated with companies involved in the controversial oil-for-roads programme, which financed infrastructure projects, including the Juba–Bor highway, through crude oil exports.