JUBA — South Sudanese business magnate Ayii Duang Ayii has threatened legal action against the national parliament over a recent summons that he claims are defamatory. Ayii’s legal team alleges that the summons, issued by a parliamentary committee, have damaged the reputation of his company, South Sudan Supreme Airlines.
n a letter to Justice Minister Ruben Madol, Ayii’s attorney, Wani Santino Jada, outlined the intent to sue the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) for defamation. The letter, shared with Sudan’s Post, accuses the parliamentary committee of recklessly publishing the summons on social media, causing significant harm to the airline’s image.
“The intention behind Engineer Mayen Deng’s decision to summon our client via social media was to garner public sympathy while damaging the reputation of South Sudan Supreme Airlines,” Jada wrote. “This action has tarnished the company’s image and caused distress to its CEO and board of directors.”
Jada proposed that the parliament issue a public retraction and apology, cease all defamatory statements, and pay $1.5 million in compensation. Should the issue remain unresolved, Ayii’s legal team plans to take the case to the East African Court of Justice.
The controversy began when leaked documents, including correspondence between South Sudan Supreme Airlines and the Ministry of Finance, surfaced on social media. These documents pertained to a sovereign guarantee and checks worth millions of dollars. In response, the parliamentary committee on trade and industry summoned Ayii to clarify the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the checks and the total value of the claims.
Ayii, however, disputed the summons, arguing that the committee should have directed its inquiry to the Ministry of Finance. He also criticized the committee for issuing the summons through social media and without proper notice. He confirmed that the checks were related to services his airline provided to the government in 2013, including fuel and food, but expressed confusion over the motives behind the document leak.
