Funding Mistake Linked to South Sudan Coup Plot

Robert Granieri, a co-founder of the Wall Street analytics company Jane Street, inadvertently provided funds intended for an AK-47 to be used in a coup in South Sudan, according to his lawyer’s statements in court documents, as reported by Bloomberg.

Granieri acknowledged funding two men, Peter Ajaku and Abraham Keech, as per the US District Courts of Arizona. He was indicted on arms trafficking charges back in 2024.

The indictment claims the duo attempted to export various military weapons, including a fully automatic AK-47, a PKM rifle, an RPG-7, a FIM-92 Stinger missile system, and an M-67 hand grenade to South Sudan.

Lawyers for Ajak and Keech contended that their actions wouldn’t have been possible without Granieri’s financial backing, Bloomberg noted, referencing the court documents.

The defense argued that there would be no suspicion of conspiracy had Granieri not provided significant funds, suggesting he should not be prosecuted.

In February 2024, Granieri transferred $7 million to the two men. Weeks later, Ajak and Keech were reported to have inspected a warehouse filled with weaponry.

Granieri’s legal team claims that Ajak misled him. After a meeting in February involving Ajak and several other individuals, he allegedly texted an undercover agent.

Public relations expert Michael Holtzmann, who was present at a similar meeting, also expressed feeling deceived. “It seems clear he misled me and others about his true intentions,” Holtzmann shared with Bloomberg.

Ajak, while communicating with the agent, maintained uncertainty about what his financiers were planning to do with the weapons. He merely confirmed he was raising funds for arms but refrained from going into any further details.

He later requested the preparation of a false invoice for humanitarian supplies, claiming that the funds were meant for a humanitarian mission.

The UN Security Council has imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan, which became independent in 2011 following a brutal civil war. The country’s political situation remains precarious, creating an environment where Ajak reportedly expressed desperation through text messages linked to the coup plot.

Granieri, who is also known for supporting former UN ambassador Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign in 2024, isn’t the only notable figure involved. Ajak’s defense additionally pointed to Garry Kasparov, a well-known chess champion and leader of the Human Rights Foundation, as another supporter of the initiative, according to Bloomberg.