Peter Biar Ajak’s court hearing on bail bond in United States Federal Court in Phoenix, has been postponed to Friday, March 15, 2024, at 10:00am.
The hearing was scheduled for tomorrow March 8; however, it had been pushed to next Friday next week to give his lawyers enough time to present their case to the Federal Judge handling the matters on both Peter Ajak and Abraham Keech, a source in Phoenix has disclosed to Talk of Juba.
The US-based South Sudanese political activist has been charged with violating export controls for allegedly conspiring to send millions of dollars worth of weapons to South Sudan, the US Justice Department said Tuesday.
Dr. Peter Biar Ajak allegedly sought to send rifles, grenade launchers, Stinger missile systems, hand grenades and ammunition to South Sudan, the department said.
He was arrested alongside a fellow political activist, Abraham Chol Keech.
The defendants, Peter Biar Ajak of Maryland and Abraham Chol Keech of Utah, “sought to unlawfully smuggle heavy weapons and ammunition from the United States into South Sudan,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said.
South Sudan “is subject to a UN arms embargo due to the violence between armed groups, which has killed and displaced thousands,” he added.
According to the criminal complaint, between February 2023 and February 2024 the pair sought to illegally buy weapons from undercover law enforcement agents and smuggle them to South Sudan through a third country.
They allegedly tried to disguise an arms contract for nearly $4 million as a contract for humanitarian assistance.
Ajak and Akeech face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act and up to 20 years if convicted of violating the Export Control Reform Act.
