Biswick Tiyamalu, a Malawian national who was interdicted in Kigali and later extradited to Juba, by Interpol to face criminal charges, could have stolen close to one million dollars from his employer, the latest details have shown.
Biswick, 42, who was arrested in Rwanda while on the run after severing ties with his employer back in Juba, was apprehended with $26,582, but his former employer Trinity Energy now says that he could have stolen a little more than what is being reported.
“During his short stint at the company, he usurped more than $713,104. These findings follow an independent audit conducted by the company,” said Trinity Energy.
At the time of his dramatic arrest, while attempting to leave Rwanda for Malawi, police found Biswick with a Tecno Camon mobile phone, and his Malawian passport.
But the embattled Malawian cum whistle-blower in the Sentry report that implicated key government officials in the oil deal, Trinity said could not account for the over $700,000 deficit in the account back in Juba, according to an independent audit authorized by Trinity Energy.
Biswick served as Trinity Energy Ltd’s Chief Financial Officer for only five months.
It is believed that by the time he fled the country, without the authorization of his bosses, Biswick had over $350,000 in cash, with over half already syphoned off to other accounts. Police only recovered a fraction of that money.
“As the CFO, the company entrusted this individual with financial responsibility, including the handling of cash derived from the sale of petroleum products.”
Correspondence from the local judiciary, the National Security Service, the Ministry of Interior and the Rwandan counterparts from the ministry of justice; and the Rwanda Investigative Bureau shows that Biswick was extradited on December 12, 2018.
Between the 23rd and 25th of October 2018, the company discovered missing cash totaling $ 350,000. Following this discovery, the company began looking for answers from Biswick.
Upon the discovery of the missing cash, the matter was immediately reported to the police. Majak Akec Malok, Inspector General of South Sudan National Police (SSPS) on October 26, 2018, wrote to Rwanda’s Inspector General of Police asking that the Malawian be arrested and returned to Juba to face criminal charges.
“I am kindly requesting your authorities to extradite him to Juba for trial,” read the correspondence between South Sudan and Rwandan police.
Communications between South Sudanese and Rwandan authorities led to the interception of the fugitive Malawian at Kigali International Airport, where he had planned to sneak out to his home country. A few days later, on October 20, 2018, the head of the National Central Bureau and INTERPOL nominated William Majok Diing to bring Biswick to Juba.
The order corroborated Trinity’s assertion that Biswick stole $350,000 from the said company, absconded and ran away to Rwanda.
After spending more than two years in jail, in Juba, the Malawian was released on March 20, 2020, via court order dated March 20, 2020. The order was issued by a First Grade Judge due to a lack of sufficient evidence to convict the accused.
But Trinity Energy Ltd would lodge a successful appeal to have the man, accused of working clandestinely with foreign agencies to leak information, some that could not be corroborated retried.
“The complainant alleges that the property got lost and that the accused disappeared in an unambiguous circumstance, revealing sufficient evidence for the continuation of criminal proceedings against the accused… therefore, and dismissal of the criminal case for lack of sufficient evidence was not a proper action taken by the Court”.
Trinity Energy LTD said they will continue the search for justice by pursuing the criminal proceedings against the Malawian to their final conclusion.
“Biswick stole more than $713,104 from the company; these findings follow an independent audit conducted by the company”.
The underlying fact of the matter is, on the one hand, that a criminal at large is being used by international groups to tarnish the justice system and criminal prosecution authorities of the Republic of South Sudan.
On the other hand, immense effort is being exhausted to derail the economic progress being made in the Republic of South Sudan in order to stem access to funds from International Financial Institutions that are promoting the integration of the South Sudanese economy with global financial and insurance markets.
Chronological order of events led to the arrest of the embattled Malawian national.
June 2, 2018: Biswick was recruited by Trinity Energy after several rounds of interviews. He passed the interview.
October 26, 2018: Biswick arrived in Juba to start work as Chief Finance officer – Trinity Energy Ltd.
October 23-25, 2018: The company discovered that $350, 000 cash was missing from the accounts. Biswick fled the country around that time.
October 26, 2018: Inspector General of South Sudan National Police wrote to his counterpart in Rwanda asking for Biswick to be arrested and repatriated back to South Sudan to face criminal charges.
On the same date, Maj. Gen. Amou Anyieth Recc, Head of National Central Bureau and INTERPOL nominated 1st Lt. William Majok Diing to ensure that the Malawian is repatriated back to South Sudan.
October 30, 2018: Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Legal Administration and Public Prosecution Authority, Jubek, Terkeka and Yei River State wrote to the Ministry of Interior, Director of National Bureau, INTERPOL.
November 9, 2018: Paulina Wana Willa Unango, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Government of the Republic of South Sudan, wrote to her counterpart in Rwanda asking that Biswick be repatriated to South Sudan. He had a criminal case (No 6513/2018) to answer.
March 20, 2020: Biswick released from detention. Goes back to Malawi
April 6, 2020: Trinity Energy Ltd Submits “Memorandum of Appeal” and wins for the retrial of Biswick. The High Court of South Sudan ruled that the Malawian be retried under Section 348 of the Penal Code Act 2008.
