Families of plane crash victims want court to expedite hearing

By Simon Deng

The families of the eight South Sudanese, who lost their lives aboard South Supreme Airlines in 2021, have expressed frustration over the delayed hearing of their case against the management of South Supreme Airlines.

This comes after the Juba County Court on Tuesday ordered South Supreme Airlines to compensate two pilots who died alongside their eight relatives when the commercial plane with registration number HK-4274 crashed shortly after takeoff at Pieri Airstrip in Uror County of Jonglei State.

Judge Barnaba Mark Nyikang awarded 175,000 U.S dollars in compensation for each of the pilots and 80,000 dollars for the loss of welfare for each of their families.

The judge also awarded 64.9 million Kenyan shillings for the late Philip Mwangi’s family and 4 million South Sudanese Pounds for Majur Malou’s family.

John Kiel Mayoal, a representative of the families of the eight victims, said that they are frustrated with the delayed hearing of their case for over three years.

“This case is three years and nobody has taken the law into his own hands, I lost my wife in a plane crash at Pieri airstrip, the appeal made by South Supreme Airlines is allowed but there is no reason for delay in hearing the case,” Mayoal told The Dawn on Thursday, after the Juba Court adjourned hearing of the appeal filed by South Supreme Airlines.

In February 2023, Judge James Ladu of the high court in Juba ordered South Supreme Airlines to pay 170,000 dollars to each of the families of the eight victims.

“We are requesting for compensation, the South Supreme Airlines has taken the law into their own hands by appealing against the court decision, we are requesting the court to expedite the appeal, our loss must be compensated,” he added.

Nyok Kuol Nyok, the lawyer for the families of the eight victims urged the Juba court to expedite the hearing in order to achieve justice for the families.

The Manager of Pieri Airstrip, YuanesYoal Kai said that the families of the victims are desperate for the court to finalize hearing of the case.

“We are now going to three years, the company was found guilty and so the court ruled in favor of the families of the victims, we are demanding the court to finalize this case,” Kai said.

In March 2021, a South Supreme Airlines commercial plane crashed shortly after takeoff at Pieri Airstrip in Uror County of Jonglei State killing 10 people aboard including two pilots.