ICT Minister rejects ‘fake’ Crawford documents, admits not knowing owners of US-sanctioned firm

Information Minister and Government Spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny rejected two documents circulating online that link private firms Crawford Capital International Limited and Capital Pay International Limited to state officials, while stating he does not know who owns the companies.

Speaking at a press briefing in Juba on Monday, August 31, 2026, Ateny addressed the documents, which allege a $15 million transaction to influence government institutions and claim the appointment of former minister Nhial Deng Nhial as Group Executive for Regional and Global Expansion at Capital Pay Ltd.

“The Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services categorically rejects both documents, describing them as fake, fraudulent, and malicious fabrications,” Ateny said.

The minister stated that the documents should not be cited, circulated, or relied upon as authentic. He announced an official investigation into their origin and warned that individuals involved in their creation, financing, or distribution will face legal action.

When asked by journalists about the ownership of Crawford Capital, Ateny stated he did not know the identity of the owners.

“The Crawford contract went through a Council of Ministers resolution, and the Council did not require a disclosure of the Board of Directors or ownership,” Ateny said. “Myself, I do not know the owners. I know Crawford Capital International and Capital Pay International as two entities—one is a system, and the other is the company contracted to manage and install the electronic government services.”

He explained that Crawford Capital received an official contract in September 2024 to support digital transformation, e-government services, and digital revenue management systems.

Ateny urged the public, media houses, state institutions, development partners, and the business community to rely only on official channels for government information.

In May 2026, the United States Department of State issued visa restrictions against members of the South Sudan transitional government and cited Crawford Capital, Ltd., a firm that collects non-oil revenue for the government, for its role in the diversion of state funds.

In a statement shared with Eye Radio, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the implementation of these measures under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The Department of State asserts in the statement that the transitional government “impeded implementation” of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). According to the department, these actions left the country “on the brink of a return to all-out war.”

In what appeared to be a response to the US sanction on Crawford Capital, the Ministry, in a press statement dated 13 May 2026, said Crawford Capital was supporting the development and research of electronic government services in South Sudan.

“The Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services (MICT&PS) of the Republic of South Sudan affirms its official engagement with Crawford Capital Ltd. in supporting the development and research of electronic government services (e-services) in South Sudan,” the statement said.