Families of the victims of the South Supreme Airlines plane that crashed in Pieri town in Uror County, Jonglei State, in 2021 will have to wait a little longer for the execution for compensation of their loved ones as the airline has yet again appealed against the ruling for the second time to the Supreme Court.
The incident happened on 2 March 2021, when a South Supreme Airlines Let aircraft with registration HK-4274 crashed moments after take-off in Pieri, resulting in the loss of 10 lives, including two crew members.
Since that tragic event, the families of the victims have been entangled in a legal battle, seeking restitution through blood compensation.
During a court hearing on Thursday to follow up on the execution of the compensation of the victims, the plaintiffs discovered that the court session could not proceed as the airline, the defendant, filed an appeal in the Supreme Court.
Addressing reporters after the court session, Nyok Kuol Nyok on behalf of Advocate Monyluak Alor, in Case No 19/2023 against South Supreme Airlines said the court has given them two weeks to follow up on the matter.
“Today’s sitting was to follow up the execution of the court verdict because Ayii’s company (South Supreme) filed an appeal before the High Court which dismissed their case last year. We came for this sitting but we found out that they have appealed again against the ruling,” Kuol explained. “The siting is set to be on 29 of February to follow up the execution of the court verdict and at the same time, to ask for two weeks to submit a request to stop verdict implementation, they have appealed before the High Court and will go to the Supreme Court which the highest legal authority. We will follow it from there and their ruling will be the final.”
“The solution is following up with the Supreme Court and making them issue their say as soon as possible because families of the victims are waiting,” Kuaol added.
For his part, John Kiel Mayuol, a representative of the families of the plane crash victims, expressed disappointment, saying they have been patient as the case has been dragging on for over three years.
“This case has gone on for almost four years and nobody and unfortunately some people are taking the law into their own hands. Ayii as the head of the company (South Supreme Airline) has appealed the case for the third time now,” he stated. “In law, wherever it is, being international or national, whenever someone loses a relative, they must be compensated and that is what we are calling for and nothing else. I appeal that all higher legal authorities settle this case because we are asking for compensation. It is obvious that Supreme Airline sees itself above the law.”
According to Kiel, the airline has been avoiding compensating the families of the airplane crash by using court appeals.
“We will be patient as we have been for the last four years,” he charged. “We have a grievance because the company had no registration or insurance and the government did not ask it why it is not compensating victims.”
Meanwhile, Yuanis Yoal Kai, the manager of the Pieri Airstrip who also lost a relative in the crash, said the case is still dragging on yet South Supreme Airline has been culpable.
“We are not happy as the case has been dragging on for four years yet the company has been found guilty because they were using an aircraft that was cleared out of Kenyan airspace,” he said. “They brought this aircraft to transport our people but unfortunately it killed our people and now we are demanding the final verdict of this case.”
The Malakia High Court ruled in February last year that South Supreme Airlines was liable to pay USD 170,000 to each of the victim’s families. This verdict was reached after the company was found negligent as outlined in Article 17 of the Montreal Protocol.