A Juba hotel has sued the minister of health over unpaid bills of five million pounds, an official has said.

The undersecretary in the ministry, Dr Makur Matur Koriom, says the bills for the accommodation of Dr Riek Gai Kok, the minister, and other officials for staying in the hotel since the beginning of the crisis in December 2013.

Dr Matur says they have received a court summon from the hotel administration. He said Dr. Riek Gai Kok was supposed to appear in the court on Thursday.

However, he told Eye Radio that Regency Hotel was not following the legal procedures.

“These bills were not incurred by the minister as a person but he was doing his job as part of crisis managing committee that was installed in the aftermath of 2013 crisis,” Dr Matur told Eye Radio.

Dr Matur says his ministry is not responsible for payment of the bills.

He said this is a responsibility of the government through the Ministry of Finance.

“Already the ministry of finance in the personality of the minister honorable David Deng has taken over the case and they are dealing with it right now,” he stated.

Dr Koriom said his Minister Dr Riek Gai and other officials were being accommodated in the hotel as part of the crisis management committee.

The committee was established by the President in the aftermath of the conflict in 2013.

The Manager of Regency Hotel has declined to comment on the matter. He advised Eye Radio to seek the comment from his legal advisor, who was not immediately available.