Ayii Duang takes Pieri plane crash case to Supreme Court

JUBA – Families of victims who died in a 2021 South Supreme Airlines plane crash expressed frustration after the airline’s owner, Ayii Duang Ayii, appealed a compensation ruling to the Supreme Court, delaying a final verdict.

The Malakia High Court had ordered South Supreme to pay $170,000 to each of the eight victim’s families and an additional $350,000 for the two deceased pilots.

However, Ayii challenged the ruling, questioning the court’s competence and claiming a lack of information from the plane’s black box.

“Based on appeal court we are supposed to have sitting today, we came and realized that South Supreme have appealed to the Supreme court and sitting was pushed to date 29, but they asked the court to give them two weeks,” said Nyok Kuol Nyok, lawyer for the victims’ families.

“Supreme Airline has transferred the case from appeal court to supreme court. So, we will follow up the procedures at Supreme Court and its last ladder of the judiciary and if their decision is out I don’t think there will be any power to overturn that ruling,” he added.

Pieri airstrip manager Yohanis Yoal Kai, who lost a family member in the crash, expressed discontent with the delays.

“We the family of the victims, we are sorry for the court delay, it is now getting four years and the company was found guilty because firm was using grounded aircrafts and clear out from Kenyan airspace,” Kai said.

“They bring those aircraft and use it to transport our people, but it unfortunately kills – now we are demanding the final of this case,” he added.

John Kiel Mayuol, an MP who also lost his wife in the crash, criticized the lengthy legal process.

“This court case has now reached three to four years and we felt sorry … in South Sudan law is always taken in to hand by some individuals like Ayii this is the third appeal,” Mayuol said.

“I urge the judicial system that this court case was not supposed to took all this time because we only ask for compensation, but it become clear that South Supreme Airlines is above the law of South Sudan.”

Ayii previously accused the Malakia judge of bias and rushing the case without considering black box data.