A landlord has filed a civil case against a minister in Eastern Equatoria State for allegedly failing to fulfil his rental obligations for five months accruing a bill of $1,500
The Centenary Associated LLP Barristers and Legal Consultants instituted the case against Joseph Opio, the State Minister of Parliamentary Affairs on behalf of the plaintiff, Godfrey Ilibo.
According to a copy of the complaint document submitted to the Torit High Court, and dated December 15, 2021, the defendant violated the rental agreement to pay a monthly rent of $300 from August to December.
The document further stated that the minister turned down several attempts to resolve the matter outside the court, hence, forcing the plaintiff to seek a court ruling on the matter.
“Wherefore, the plaintiff prays that the judgment is entered against the defendant on the following; (a) the defendant to pay the rental arrears of $ 1500, (b) order the defendant to pay attorney’s legal fees of SSP200 000, (c) the defendant to bear the cost of suit,” the document partly read.
Ilibo said the tenant rented his house in May and paid three months’ advance that expired at the end of July. He added that since then, the tenant failed to pay for the subsequent five months.
He added the minister locked the house and moved away to a different place without notice when he began to demand the arrears.
However, the plaintiff said, “We are human, and we are South Sudanese, if you find it difficult to pay the money I can understand the situation but if you are keeping quick and dodging that is when it becomes a problem.”
According to the advocate, Juma Joe, who filed the case, the minister failed to appear before the jury on Monday resulting in the adjourning of the hearing to January 18, 2022.
Not yet contacted
When contacted by phone, Opio neither confirmed nor denied the matter but said the court did not deliver the summon to him.
“I have not received any summons and I am in my office. If there is anything like a suit against me, let the court bring the summon letter to me. But I haven’t been informed even the state secretariat has not got it,” Opio told The City Review on Tuesday in a phone call interview.
The matter marked another series of civil suits against government officials since the commencement of the implementation of the revitalised peace agreement in 2019.
In February this year, some hotel owners in Juba threatened to sue the government for failing to pay $10 million rental arrears. The hotels demanded that National Transitional Committee (NTC) Chairperson, Tut Kew Gatluak, clears the accommodation and feeding bill of members of the peace parties since 2018.
The First Vice President was sued in July this year by a business company known as Bright Horizon Trading Limited that deals in car hire for failing to pay a sum of $330,000 debts for rendering services to his office.