A Juba court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the defamation case filed by the National Minister for General Education and Instruction, Awut Deng Achuil, to August 5.
The investigator that presented the case was Wednesday questioned by both the prosecuting and the defense lawyers after which the presiding Judge Lual Chuei also cross-examined him.
The Supreme Court last October referred the case against three youths representing the Luanjang Community of Tonj East County in Warrap State to the Juba County Court.
In February 2021, a group of the Luanjang Community youths represented by the interim chairperson, Marcelo Deng Magon, wrote to President Salva Kiir accusing the Minister of barring the Primary Eight pupils from parts of Tonj East County from sitting the 2021 final examinations under the pretext of insecurity.
The Minister then filed a suit in a Juba court against Machiek Dongrin, Marcelo Deng Magon and Tinjok Ruben Dhal, a medical student from the Bahr el-Ghazal University in February 2022.
Speaking to reporters after the court session, the Minister’s counsel, Monyluak Alor Kuol, said his client felt the information that was shared on the social media hurt per personality and opted to sue for defamation.
“The Minister was hurt by the insults thus she decided to come before the court to clear her name,” Kuol said.
He said the complainants were expected to appear in court during the next session to present their case.
“We have now concluded the session with the investigator closing his file. The next session will be for the court to listen to the complaint, somebody representing the ministry, which is the first complainant and the Minister, who because of the personal insults, is the second complainant,” Kuol said.