Juba Commissioner Charles Joseph Wani speaks on Eye Radio's Dawn Show. July 7, 2023. | Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio

The Commissioner of Juba County in Central Equatoria state has asked the court to follow legal procedure after a summon.

This week, Juba County Court summoned Engineer Charles Joseph Wani to appear before a hearing slated for July 11.

Reacting to the summon, Mr Wani argues that the legal body did not follow the right procedure.

Commissioner Wani termed the court “ignorant” for not following the right procedures against a constitutional post holder.

“I cannot respond to the court because there is a legal administration of the County and the Central Equatoria state. This process must be followed,” he told Eye Radio.

“The judge or the legal administration that said the commissioner should come, in another way they are even ignorant, there is a certain procedure that should be followed.”

“The person who can go to the court is the legal advisor [of JCC] or legal administration of the state, because they handle all legal cases of people who are constitution post holders, and I’m a constitution post holder. The procedure the court has followed is totally wrong.”

The Court summon did not specify what triggered his summon.

But the court also ordered the immediate closure of Bari Community Centre in the same letter.

The community center was ordered to reopen after Commissioner Wani directed its closure – accusing its members of causing disorder during a memorial of Late Lawmaker Alfred Keri, former acting Speaker of Central Equatoria Legislature.

Wani then directed Boma Executive Chiefs and the Head of Chiefs of the Payams to take charge of the Bari Community Center and re-organize their subjects.

The Chairman of Bari Community, Stephen Pitia Laku criticized the move, describing it as politically motivated.

It is also not clear who opened the case in the Juba Court to summon Commissioner Wani.