MPs postpone deliberation on cybercrime and audit chamber as minister fails to show up

JUBA – South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) has deferred the tabling of the Cybercrime and Computer Misuse Bill, 2024, and the Audit Chamber Act, 2011, until next week due to the absence of the minister of justice and constitutional affairs Ruben Madol Arol.

Both bills were scheduled for their first readings on Wednesday, but the Parliament decided to postpone them after the Minister’s failed to show up before lawmakers.

Oliver Mori Benjamin, chairperson of the parliamentary committee for information and communication, explained that the Speaker deferred the bills to next week, stating that the parliament couldn’t proceed with its sitting without the minister’s presence.

Mori highlighted that there were three main items on the parliament’s agenda.

“Two of these items were deferred to next week due to the presenter of the bill, who happens to be the Minister of Justice, Honorable Ruben Madol Arol,” Mori said.

“One bill was related to the misuse of mass media institutions, and the other was an Amendment Bill No.22 for the removal of Chapter 10A of the Act,” he added.

The Minister’s absence was attributed to other urgent assignments he had to attend to.

“This [bill] was also supposed to be tabled by the Honorable Minister Ruben Madol, but because he had other assignments, he had to attend to today which are urgent, so the Parliament could not go ahead without the presence of the Minister,” he added.

It’s worth noting that President Salva Kiir Mayardit assented to the Cybercrime and Computer Misuse provisional order on May 7, 2021. The bill aims to protect and prevent crimes committed through computer systems and related activities.