Ayii Duang Ayii, businessman, former chairperson of the Business Community - credit | Michael Daniel/Eye Radio | March 15, 2022

The Manager of South Sudan Supreme Airline Ayii Duang has been freed after he loaned his fixed and mobile assets to a company to clear court dues and compensate the 2021 Pieri plane crash victims.

Early this month, the South Sudan Prison Service confirmed the proprietor of South Supreme Airlines Ayii Duang Ayii was in jail for failing to compensate victims of the 2021 plane crash in Jonglei.

Ayii Duang was ordered by the court to pay 170,000 US dollars for each victim of the HK 4274 commercial plane.

In March 2021, a commercial plane registered as HK 4274, and owned by businessman Ayii Duang Ayii killed at least 10 people after it crashed in the Pieri airstrip, in Uror County.

Those who died include two children, six women, and two pilots – a South Sudanese and a Kenyan.

Ayii says the court refused to wait for the black box result to ascertain the cause of the fatal accident.

“The Administration of South Sudan Supreme Airline asked the court to wait for the black box report to find out the cause of the accident. We are sorry that the judge rejected the request and sentenced me to a ruling that has nothing to do with the law of the country,” Ayii said.

He accused the court of having an interest in money.

Ayii says that the blood compensation is determined by law and that if he pays according to the court’s decision, then he will be setting a judicial precedent.

“We would like to know who is responsible for the incident so that compensation can be made in accordance with international law and South Sudanese law for the South Sudanese law,

“In the Upper Nile states of that blood compensation is 31 heads of cattle, as well as in the Bahr el Ghazal states.

“My question is, will this set a precedent if I pay the amount decided by the court? Because in the event of another accident, the family of the deceased will demand the same amount estimated of 17000 USD. Therefore, I agreed to go to prison until justice and law prevail.”

However, Ayii didn’t mention when he was released from jail but says he is going to implement the court order.

“We respect the law and we will implement the ruling South Sudan Supreme Airline provided fixed and mobile assets to the company to mortgage them, but the court refused and demanded payment in cash, according to our discretion,” he said.

“We accuse the court of having an interest and a percentage of the blood money. The Supreme Court in South Sudan stopped the implementation of the procedures, approved the mortgage statement on fixed and mobile assets, and released me.”