South Sudan Bar Association to sue Interior Ministry
The association plans legal action over traffic police demanding US dollar fines and high license plate fees for commercial vehicles.
The South Sudan Bar Association will sue the Ministry of the Interior and the Traffic Police Department for illegally demanding US dollar fines from private vehicle owners. Stephen Martin Nyichar, Secretary General of the Bar Association, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the traffic department's fines were not approved by the Ministry of Finance or the Revenue Authority. He stated that requiring citizens to pay fines in US dollars violates directives from the Bank of South Sudan.
Nyichar said the association contacted the Caretaker Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Rizik Zachariah Hassan and informed the Ministry of Justice about the traffic police's unilateral decisions. The Bar Association has given the Ministry of Interior a seven-day deadline to reverse these decisions. An official announcement of the lawsuit will be made at a press conference soon.
The traffic department is also requiring commercial vehicle owners to replace license plates at a cost of USD 400, a move the Bar Association deems illegal as no agreement was reached. These actions occur as South Sudan faces an economic downturn, with widespread financial hardship among the population.
Why it mattersThe South Sudan Bar Association has given the Ministry of Interior a seven-day deadline to reverse decisions on traffic fines and license plate fees before filing a lawsuit.