The Supreme Court of South Sudan on Monday referred a defamation case filed by General Education Minister Awut Deng Acuil against three youths representing the Luanjang Community of Tonj East County in Warrap State back to the Juba County Court.
In February 2021, youth from Luanjang Community represented by Marcelo Deng Magon who was the interim youth chairperson at the time, wrote a letter to President Salva Kiir Mayardit accusing Minister Awut of intentionally barring primary eight pupils from areas of Tonj East County from sitting the 2021 Primary Leaving Examinations under the pretext of insecurity.
The general education minister then filed a lawsuit against Machiek Dongrin, Marcelo Deng Magon, the Interim Chairman of Luangjang Youth Union, and Tinjok Ruben Dhal, a medical student from Bahr el Ghazal University in February 2022 at a court in Juba.
Kiir Chol Deng, the defense lawyer of three accused persons told reporters in Juba on Monday that the criminal defamation case is now before Juba County Court Judge Lual Cuei who set a hearing for 30 October 2023.
“This case went to the Supreme Court because we were contesting an issue,” he explained. “It went through a lot of courts up to the Supreme Court which later rejected and sent it back and that is why we are going for trial now.”
Khalid Jaden and Monyluak Alor, the lawyers representing Minister Awut Deng were not reachable for comment.
Over 1,732 pupils in SPLA-IO controlled areas missed the 2020/2021 examination cycle over insecurity in the seven counties of Akobo, Ayod, Fangak (old and new), Nyirol, Nasir, Longechuk and Tonj East.