By William Madouk
Chairperson of the Business Community, Ayii Duang Ayii, is demanding the national prison service compensates business people for incurred losses after authorities shut down their buildings.
On January 16, the national prison services deployed their forces at South Sudan Hotel, Park, and Hospital in Juba, meant to thwart Ayii’s plan to construct a new building on land they claimed belonged to the institution.
Mr. Ayii said over 40 business places were shut down by the prison authority for nearly 21 days now without due procedures; thus, a case has been opened to compensate for losses incurred.
“We have opened a case against the National Prison Service for compensation to all the business people who have suffered a lot of losses during closure,” said Ayii.
Contrary to the prisons’ claims, Ayii alleged that the plot where he built the hospital and hotel is his property, and he has legal documents from when he bought it from Jamal Al-Faki, who procured it from prisons.
According to Ayii, the prison forces occupied all of African Park by force and, at gunpoint, closed down all commercial centers, including the South Sudan Hotel, including the South Sudan Modern Medical Hospital.
“South Sudan Business Community condemns in strong terms possible the use of a gun force by law enforcement agency like the national prison services in a nation of sovereignty like South Sudan,” he echoed.
Furthermore, Mr. Ayii stated that the Prisons service management did not follow the right procedures and instead defy laws by dishonoring Supreme Court’s order for stay execution.
“All those orders were violated by South Sudan National Prisons Services at a gunpoint threat to normal civilians who are doing their business in the African Park,” he claimed.
Besides, the boss of the business community said the renewed contract signed in 2019 for a duration of ten years has not yet ended.
Justice Kuc John, the supreme court judge, in a ‘stay of execution’ directive dated January 19, 2024, seen by this outlet, ordered a stay of execution until the final disposal of the appeal.
But the national prison services, in their letter dated January 25, 2024, written by Lt-Gen. James Bol, the director for general administration and finance, tendered an evacuation notice with an ultimatum of 72 hours; failure to do so would lead to stern measures.
Justice John termed the evacuation notice illegal, citing that the prison authority is not a judicial body in order to serve the evacuation letter despite the stay of the execution order by the court.