According to a report by Bloomberg, Granieri, a co-founder of Jane Street, a major U.S. trading firm, says he was misled by individuals posing as human rights activists, leading him to unknowingly finance a scheme that has raised serious concerns in Juba.
On March 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Biar, a South Sudanese Harvard Fellow and former political prisoner, along with Abraham Chol Keech, with attempting to buy and smuggle weapons, including AK-47 rifles, Stinger missiles, and grenades, to topple South Sudan’s government.
The charges allege that Ajak and Chol conspired between February 2023 and February 2024 to illegally purchase and export weapons, including automatic rifles, grenade launchers, and Stinger missile systems, to South Sudan in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the Export Control Reform Act.
The plot, which lacked funds until Granieri’s involvement, has shocked many in South Sudan, a nation still grappling with the scars of civil war since its independence in 2011. According to Bloomberg, Granieri’s lawyer insists his client, known for supporting human rights causes, was deceived into believing the funds were for humanitarian work, not a violent uprising.
Granieri’s connection to the case began through Garry Kasparov, a famous chess grandmaster and former head of the Human Rights Foundation, who introduced him to Ajak.
Kasparov, unaware of any coup plans, had worked with Ajak in the past, and Granieri, whose wealth has funded projects like a U.S. casino and political campaigns, trusted the introduction. For South Sudanese, Ajak’s involvement was particularly striking. Once a prominent voice for peace and reform, his alleged role in this plot has sparked heated debate about the challenges of activism and exile.
South Sudan’s government has yet to issue an official statement, but the case has stirred unease among citizens wary of further instability. The nation’s history of conflict, marked by ethnic tensions and economic struggles, makes such allegations deeply sensitive. Local analysts suggest the plot, if true, could have exacerbated the country’s fragile peace process.
Granieri’s claim of being duped is central to his defence, with his legal team emphasising his history of supporting causes like the Equal Justice Initiative, a U.S.-based human rights group.
