South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The President of the South Sudan Bar Association, James El-Taib on Tuesday requested the Governor of Central Equatoria State, Emmanuel Adil Anthony to lift the immunity of the Minister for Animal Resources, Fisheries and Tourism, Alex Lotiyu Elia and the State Advisor on Security Affairs, Angelo Daya so that they appear before the high court in Juba.
The two state officials have been sued by James El-Taib, the President of the Bar Association for abuse of office after Alex Lotiyu Elia issued ministerial order on January 25, 2024 dissolving the steering committee for the Central Equatoria state butchers’ union and its sub-offices around markets in Juba.
The leadership of the state butchers’ union rejected the ministerial order terming it unconstitutional.
“We are going to step in now by launching against the two personalities and asking the government to remove their immunity immediately, so that the criminal court would have to challenge them because dishonoring the order of the court is a crime by itself,” El-Taib told journalists during press conference held in Juba.
El-Taib said that the high court also issued directive stopping the closure of the office of the butchers’ union until the matter is resolved in the state high court.
“They are wrong people in the government, the wrong people putting on the right shoes on their feet but their mind is wrong and these are people from the government’s side,” he said.
He urged the governor to lift the immunity of his officials so that they answer charges brought against them in the high court.
“I take this opportunity to inform Hon. Governor of Central Equatoria to take note that there are people under his administration and they are abusing the law of this country,” El-Taib said.
El-Taib disclosed that these officials are not only abusing the law but also tainting the image of the appointing authority who is the Governor.
“Soon now I am going to the court and starting the mission today (Tuesday). It will be upon the concerned authority to waive their immunity,” he said.
“The procedure can take less than 48 hours but we may have a challenge with the authority who is maintaining their immunity, and if that authority is cooperative with us then within 72 hours we are supposed to see these people at the back,” El-Taib added.
