Africa-Press – South-Sudan. An SPLM Party legislator representing Warrap State in the Transitional Legislative Assembly (TNLA), Robert Anei Salva Mathok, has denied allegations that he assaulted a female colleague, Amel Yak Diel, who represents Gogrial East County, over a land dispute in 2023.
Yak reported a case of assault and criminal trespass against Anei at Jebel Police Station on 25 September 2023, resulting in Former Justice Minister Justice Ruben Madol writing to Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba in December last year, requesting the House to lift his immunity to allow his arraignment in court.
However, Anei now says he is ready to appear and that he will countersue Yak for defamation and character assassination.
Anei is the son of Late SPLA veteran Gen Salva Mathok, who was a former deputy interior minister and parliamentarian. President Salva Kiir appointed him to represent the constituency his father represented after the latter’s demise.
Anei, who looks after his father’s estate, said his dad’s company has an agreement with Solomon Chaplain Lui regarding Rock City Hotel land in Juba and that there is no other entity claiming ownership of the same.
On Tuesday, the TNLA voted to lift the immunity of two lawmakers, allowing one opposition member, Gatwech Lam, to face charges of crimes against the state, and Anei Salva Mathok of the SPLM Party to be tried for the alleged assault and trespass. The House approved the decision following a request from Justice Minister Wek Mamer Kuol in June, and the vote paves the way for legal proceedings against the duo.
The decision was backed by several lawmakers, including George Andrea Juma of the SPLM, who argued that parliamentary immunity applies only to civil matters.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, MP Anei said he has no objection to appearing in court but that the TNLA legal department failed to give him details about the case against him.
“I went to the legal department to tell me the case number so I can go and find out who actually filed a case against me so I can go ask them why they want to spoil my name and assassinate my character, but they failed to give me the case number,” he explained. “No one provided that (information) to me, and none of them actually reached me so that we could sit down and talk. It would not have reached that level.”
The lawmaker said the lifting of his immunity is procedural and that he is not a criminal.
“I will file a case against her (Yak) for defamation. I am innocent. She could have called; we could have met and talk, but she just went ahead and accused me. I am a responsible person who cannot do such things,” he further clarified. “There are soldiers there who are guarding the place, and if the soldiers assaulted her, I do not know what happened because I was not there.”
Under Article 67 of the Transitional Constitution, no criminal proceedings may be initiated against a member of the TNLA or Council of States, nor may action be taken against their person or property, without permission from the speaker. This provision does not apply in cases where a member is caught committing an offence for which arrest without a warrant is permitted.
The article also provides that if a lawmaker is charged with a serious crime, the relevant house may vote to lift that member’s immunity.
Gatwech Lam was arrested by National Security Service agents at his home in Juba on March 12 and has since been held without trial. His arrest followed protests by SPLM-IO lawmakers over the deployment of South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) to Nasir County in Upper Nile State. The lawmakers said the deployment was carried out without local consultation and risked violating the 2018 peace agreement.
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