Juol Nhomngek, a member of national Parliament, says he remains committed to pursuing the legal action he initiated in the East African Court of Justice, seeking justice in his case.
His reinstatement to the Parliament by Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba in August followed a suspension by the Assembly Business Committee (ABC) on April 26, stemming from allegations he made against the parliament speaker, Jemma Nunu Kumba.
His accusations against the speaker included embezzlement of approximately $1.5 million and 12 million South Sudanese Pounds, as well as mishandling funds related to Eastern African lawmakers’ sports events. Nhomngek further claimed he was unfairly suspended without an opportunity to defend himself before the assembly.
“The case is ongoing, and the only issue is that I am currently working on securing the funds required to enable my lawyer to schedule a hearing. The hearing is expected to take place in the upcoming month. Additionally, we have a related case within the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) focusing on human rights violations by members of parliament,” Nhomngek told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday.
“I received a notification from them stating that they will be addressing the case within the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which is also considering it. They are scheduled to convene from the 23rd to the 27th of this month. The notification specifically mentioned that they will assess the same case concerning the violation of human rights. Simultaneously, the case remains pending in the East African Court. My current priority is to secure the necessary funds to gather and proceed with scheduling the hearing with my lawyer,” he added.
Nhomngek, a member of the opposition SPLM-IO, stressed the significance of the case, explaining that they are closely monitoring it to prevent any future speakers from taking similar actions. He pointed out that Speaker Kumba did not follow the correct procedures when suspending him.
Nhomngek emphasized, “In the previous instance, the speaker did not bring the suspension for approval by the house. To avoid a recurrence of such a situation in the future, it’s crucial to understand that the ultimate authority to suspend members of parliament rests with the entire house, not solely with the speaker.”