{"id":41095,"date":"2025-11-12T11:11:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T09:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=41095"},"modified":"2025-11-12T11:11:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T09:11:14","slug":"mps-demand-clarity-on-ministers-role-in-controversial-triple-murder-case-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/12\/mps-demand-clarity-on-ministers-role-in-controversial-triple-murder-case-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"MPs demand clarity on Minister\u2019s role in controversial triple murder case decision"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Alan Clement<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Members of South Sudan\u2019s Transitional National Legislative Assembly have demanded clarity on Justice Minister Dr. Joseph Geng Akech\u2019s decision to release suspects and reopen a hotel linked to the killing of three girls in Juba.<\/p>\n

The issue, raised by Kuol Deng, MP for Rumbek North (SPLM\u2011IO), during Tuesday\u2019s 19th Ordinary Sitting of the TNLA, sparked a tense debate over the limits of ministerial authority in ongoing criminal cases.<\/p>\n

Kuol accused the Minister of abusing his powers and violating the Constitution by issuing what he described as \u201can administrative decision\u201d in a criminal matter still pending before court.<\/p>\n

He argued that the release of the suspects and reopening of the hotel amounted to interference in the judicial process. \u201cThis is a criminal case that must go through the police and the judiciary,\u201d Kuol told lawmakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Minister has no power to release suspects before trial. This is an abuse of power, and the House deserves an explanation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Other lawmakers joined the debate, with Bol Joseph Agau (NDM) warning that reopening the hotel could compromise evidence and endanger both the accused and the victims\u2019 families.<\/p>\n

\u201cA crime scene does not only mean the room where the deaths occurred. It includes the entire perimeter of the premises and should remain closed until the end of litigation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers also expressed concern that releasing the suspects on bail could expose them to harm, given community tensions and the risk of revenge attacks in such emotionally charged cases.<\/p>\n

Justice Minister Dr. Joseph Geng Akech defended his decision as rooted in law and procedure, stressing that his office acted after reviewing appeals and finding that both the prolonged detention of suspects and the continued closure of the hotel went beyond what the law allows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ministry does not judge or defend cases,\u201d Dr. Geng told Parliament adding, \u201cOur role is to ensure that the law is followed. The case is now before the Court of Appeal, and until it rules, the trial cannot proceed.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to a ministerial directive dated 15 October 2025, Dr. Geng overturned an earlier decision by the Acting Undersecretary that had ordered the hotel to remain closed and the suspects to stay in detention. He cited sections 64, 130, 131, and 166 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 2008, which restrict pretrial detention and define how crime scenes may be sealed.<\/p>\n

In his directive, the Minister said there was no legal justification to keep the hotel closed once investigations had been completed in June. He noted that the closure order failed to specify the area and duration as required by law, describing its continuation as \u201cunnecessary and absurd in the eyes of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot find any legal basis or reasons for the hotel to remain closed since the investigations of this case have been completed since June 2025,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Dr. Geng further invoked Articles 14 and 19 of the Transitional Constitution of 2011 (as amended), which guarantee equality before the law and the right to a fair trial. He ordered that only the room where the incident occurred remain sealed until the case goes to trial, while the rest of the hotel should be reopened for public use.<\/p>\n

He also directed that the suspects, including the hotel owner, be released on bail pending trial. \u201cOnly the specific room where the incident occurred shall remain sealed until the case goes to trial, while the rest of the hotel should be reopened for public use,\u201d the directive stated.<\/p>\n

The Minister further instructed the Head of Legal Administration in Central Equatoria State to forward the case to court for hearing and clarified that any aggrieved party had the right to appeal. The private lawyer representing the victims\u2019 family has already lodged an appeal before the Court of Appeal for Greater Equatoria Circuit.<\/p>\n

Deputy Speaker Parmena Awerial reminded MPs that while the matter is sensitive, it must be handled in accordance with parliamentary and judicial procedures.<\/p>\n

\u201cIssues of rights and justice must not be discussed without regard to the law or the facts,\u201d he cautioned, advising Kuol Deng to table a formal motion if further debate is needed.<\/p>\n

The case, registered under Criminal Case No. 2174\/2025, involves the deaths of three young women found in a hotel room in Atlabara Residential Area in March this year. Investigations were completed in June, and the case remains under appeal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alan Clement Members of South Sudan\u2019s Transitional National Legislative Assembly have demanded clarity on Justice Minister Dr. Joseph Geng Akech\u2019s decision to release suspects and reopen a hotel linked to the killing of three girls in Juba. The issue, raised by Kuol Deng, MP for Rumbek North (SPLM\u2011IO), during[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":41096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Praliament.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41095"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41097,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41095\/revisions\/41097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}