Relatives and friends of Ajang Ajang Lino, the deputy commissioner for domestic taxes of the South Sudan National Revenue Authority (SSNRA) have cried out over his continued detention over what they term as malicious charges.
Lino was arrested early this year over unclear reasons but a friend claimed that his troubles stem from a power struggle between him the deputy commissioner General of SSNRA, Africano Manday.
The two are said to be eyeing the top job at SSNRA.
Lino was a former chairman of South Sudan United front/Army and was granted amnesty in 2018 after signing a peace agreement with the government of South Sudan.
After the deal, Lino was appointed assistant director for Income Tax in August 2019 at the National Revenue Authority.
Sources told us that during this time, tax revenues went up by 119%. However during the transition from NRA to SSNRA, a power struggle ensued among various actors.
There were allegations that some officials had engaged in corruption and went the media started reporting on the claims, it was alleged that Lino has been behind the leak.
The acting commissioner general then, Erjok Bullen was forced to resign and was replaced by Manday. But Bullen did not go quietly and started plotting Lino's downfall. Manday, too was shortly replaced by a Tanzanian national, Patrick Mugoya, who is seen as an outsider and a close ally of Lino.
On December 5, 2021, Lino was suspended over unclear reasons. Three months later, he was arrested together with some people in SSNRA to ostensibly pave way for investigations into his activities.
We have been told that his phones were confiscated during a search of his home. Among other charges, Lino is accused of having registered a company in 2013 which engaged in fraudulent transactions.
On August 2, 2022 some of the people arrested with Lino were released. Sources claim they were freed after they agreed to pin Lino on some of the charges.
"This is to let the public know that the allegations of malpractices are a coverup to keep Lino away from the department altogether.If there was any charges as claimed,there is nothing to justify continuous detention at the NSS for God sake," one of his friends told The Nile Post.
We have been told that the investigations have so far failed to find credible evidence against Lino but he remains under arrest.
Other sources told us that South Sudan president Salva Kiir has now intervened in the matter.
