SPLM Secretary-General Pag’an Amum Okiech has been ordered not to leave Juba until after completion of an internal party investigation.

The senior party leader in early July criticized a presidential decision to launch a corruption investigation, calling the move politically motivated.

He was speaking in support of two ministers, Deng Alor Kuol and Kosti Manibe Ngai.

Salva Kiir, acting in his capacity as chairman of SPLM, suspended Amum on Tuesday and formed a committee to investigate him for “mismanaging the affairs of SPLM, administratively and politically” and “exhibiting insubordination to the SPLM leadership by using the public media to discredit the SPLM and its leadership.”

The committee will have 30 days to complete its work beginning 23 July. The members of the committee are James Wani Igga, Daniel Awet Akot, Kuol Manyang Juuk, Mark Nyipuoch Obang, and Peter Bashir Gbandi.

A supplementary order issued Thursday ordered the suspended secretary-general “not to make any press conferences or address any media whatsoever.”

He is also ordered “not to travel outside Juba until the investigation is completed and the Report submitted accordingly.”

Former Vice President Riek Machar Teny criticized this order in a press conference today, saying that Amum should be free to move about the country as any citizen. "I don’t think this should come from the party, because he might challenge it in court," he said.

File photo: Pag'an Amum (left) arriving at an SPLM Political Bureau meeting with Vice President Riek Machar (center), March 2013 (SPLM)