A cargo plane appears to have gone off of a runway at Renk airstrip on June 6, 2020. [Photo: Radio Tamazuj]

Court to rule on Pieri plane crash case in February

The Malakia County Court in Juba has set 22 February 2023 as the date it will deliver a verdict in the case of the Pieri plane crash.

The Malakia County Court in Juba has set 22 February 2023 as the date it will deliver a verdict in the case of the Pieri plane crash.

Court hearings have been ongoing for over a year in a case brought against South Supreme Airlines by the families of the victims of an airplane crash that involved one of the airline’s planes.

The aircraft, a Let L-410 with registration number HK-4274, crashed shortly after takeoff from the airstrip in Pieri town of Uror County, Jonglei state, killing all 10 people on board, including two crew members, in March 2021.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Kuol Nyok, told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the court set a day for the final ruling after final submissions were made on Friday.

“During Friday’s session, we made our final submissions. And the file on this case has now been closed for the judges to go through the evidence pending a final verdict on 22 February as set by the court,” he said.

Meanwhile, Makuei Puok Bai, a representative of the victims’ families, said the court’s decision is overdue.

“The final verdict in our case is now set for 22 February,” he said. “Our lawyer presented all the evidence and our demands to the court so we are ready and happy that the case is now being finalized.”

The airline’s defense lawyer, Wednesday Joseph, declined to comment.