Lawyer vows to appeal dismissed cohabitation case of Bishop Akau

JUBA, OCTOBER 4, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – A lawyer representing the family of late Amos Awan Ghak on Wednesday vowed to appeal the dismissal of cohabitation case brought against Bishop David Akau Kuol of the Awerial Diocese of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan.

The lawsuit was filed on May 31, 2023, by late Amos Awan himself before his death. The late had accused Bishop Akau of engaging in an unlawful cohabitation arrangement with his daughter, Amer Amos, for nearly 12 years.

On June 12, 2023, the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church Internal Province of Eastern Bahr el Ghazal, Alpayo Manyang Kuctil, lifted Bishop Akau’s immunity, allowing him to appear before the court in the capital Juba.

But on Tuesday, Presiding Judge David Moses Tut of Juba County Court dismissed the cohabitation case and stated that the prosecutor has the option to appeal the ruling within a duration of not more than 15 days.

Speaking to Sudans Post on Wednesday, the head of the prosecution team, Maulana Philip Manyok Kuol said he is going to appeal against the court decision in Juba high court.

“My next move is to appeal the decision of the county judge court and I will appeal in the high court for further proceeding,” he said.

Manyok added that the court verdict was not based on sufficient evidence.

“I am not content with the verdict because the judge of the country court did not allow some of the elements that will support the claim by the plaintiff’s daughter,” Maulana Philip said.

He said sufficient evidence was denied by the court and demanded DNA test for Amer’s child should be conducted to determine whether the child belonged to Bishop Akau or not.

“Once there was some sufficient evidence like audios and videos when the crisis of David Akau and first wife started. There were some claims from the first wife that David has a kid with one of her relatives and that she will no longer be the wife of David,” he said.

“Those videos and sufficient evidence were not allowed, number two, if there is a claim that one has a kid with other parties, it involves what we call a DNA test. The DNA test was not allowed by the county court,” he added.