An expert driving a private taxi was stopped by traffic police

On 18.9.2016. Juba. An INGO expert staff member in a private van-type taxi vehicle was stopped by Traffic Police 1.5 kms distance from UN House in Jebel at around 13:30hrs. While the driver was taken out of the car to another location to have cash taken from him, a second person out of uniform approached the expat staff member on the passenger’s side and requested to see ID and asked why he was going to UN House. After a short conversation, the vehicle, driver and passenger were allowed to proceed. Upon return and without the passenger, the taxi driver was stopped at the same checkpoint and was told by the second out of uniform man (claiming to be CID officer) that he is not allowed to take people to UN House because ‘they go there to leak information’. The driver (a Kenyan national) was threatened with the impounding of the vehicle, being taken to NSS HQ and was requested to pay a 1500SSP fine; after an undetermined amount of time, the driver was let go with the vehicle once he paid 100SSP to the (believed to be) CID officer.