Juba High Court arrested UAP boss for defying summons

JUBA – South Sudan’s High Court on Friday arrested Japheth Omare Omwero, Managing Director of UAP Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Old Mutual Group, East Africa, for failing to appear in court.

This follows his failure to appear in court on Friday for further hearing of labor case dispute filed by his former staff.

In October 2024, UAP dismissed at least 10 national staff members who had called for better wages.

The company’s decision went against an order from the Ministry of Labor, which called for the reinstatement of the fired employees.

This led the National Staff Association (UNSA) to file a legal case against UAP.

Advocate Marko Reech told Sudans Post on Friday that Juba High Court issued a warrant of arrest against UAP due to his persistent disregard for court summonses.

“Yes, the managing director of UAP Insurance Company of South Sudan is arrested for disobeying the summons to appear before the honorable court today,” Reech said.

Reech said presiding Judge Francis Amum ruled that the UAP boss had acted in contempt.

“So, the court issued the warrant of arrest to be arrested and brought before him on February 26, 2025, so now the UAP managing director is now inside a cell,” he said.

The defendant was detained in line with section 155, clause 2(a) of the South Sudan Civil Procedure Act, 2007, which gives the court the power to hold a defendant and request that they provide security for their presence, according to the plaintiff’s lawyer.

UAP has been in conflict with its national employees over claims of unfair treatment, particularly regarding pay discrepancies between local and expatriate staff.

The dispute escalated in 2023 when around 70 national employees staged a sit-in strike, bringing UAP’s operations to a halt.