The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Joseph Geng Akech, on Tuesday strongly defended his decision to release on bail the owner and staff of Freedom Hotel in Juba who were arrested earlier this year following the deaths of three women in a room at the hotel in March.
Speaking before the National Assembly, Minister Geng clarified that his actions were based strictly on legal procedure and not influenced by political pressure or public sentiment. He answered heated questions from parliamentarians, some of whom accused him of acting outside the law by releasing the suspects.
“The law does not give us the power to arrest and detain people indefinitely without taking them to court,” Minister Geng emphasized. “When crimes are committed, it is the responsibility of the prosecutor to ensure that suspects are taken before a competent court of law. That is what I directed.”
The minister explained that the decision to grant bail was made after a complaint was filed by the suspects’ lawyers, who argued that their clients had been held in custody for too long without trial. He explained that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) reviewed the complaint and directed that the suspects be taken to court and the hotel reopened, while the room where the crime took place remains closed.
However, that decision was initially overturned by the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Justice, following an appeal from the complainant’s legal team. The suspects’ lawyers then appealed to the minister himself — a process which, Geng said, is clearly provided for under South Sudanese law.
“In handling the appeal, I acted according to the law, not politics,” he told the House. “The role of the Ministry of Justice is to prosecute cases, not to detain people indefinitely. Taking the case to court ensures justice for both the victims and the accused.”
The minister also dismissed rumors circulating online that he had been bribed to release the suspects, calling such claims “unfounded and malicious.” He maintained that the decision was purely legal and that the case remains active in the Court of Appeal.
“The private lawyer of the complainants has appealed my decision,” he said. “They are asking the Court of Appeal to keep the suspects in custody and to close the hotel indefinitely. But justice requires that the case be tried in court, not delayed through political or emotional influence.”
Minister Geng reiterated that his directive did not dismiss the charges against the suspects but merely ensured that the case proceeds through proper judicial channels.
“I did not dismiss the case, but I directed that it be taken to court for trial,” he stressed.
The Freedom Hotel case has drawn widespread public attention and sparked debate over the government’s handling of high-profile criminal cases. The three deceased women were discovered in one of the hotel’s rooms in March, prompting outrage and calls for swift justice.
As the case now moves to the Court of Appeal, the minister urged lawmakers and the public to respect due process and allow the judiciary to determine the outcome based on evidence and the law.
“Our justice system is founded on the presumption of innocence until proven guilty,” he concluded. “It is the courts — not politicians, not the media — that have the final word on who is guilty or innocent.”