South Sudan Bar Association demands cancellation of new plates within three days
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Eye Radio
The South Sudan Bar Association is demanding that the Interior Minister cancel a directive on company vehicle plates, return seized vehicles and refund fees. It threatens legal action within three days, according to Eye Radio.
The South Sudan Bar Association has given the Minister of Interior three days to cancel an alleged directive requiring company vehicle number plates to be replaced, release seized vehicles and refund the sums collected. Failing that, the organisation said it intended to bring legal proceedings, according to a statement sent to Eye Radio and signed by its chairperson, Arop Malueth Manoon.
The Bar Association accuses the Directorate of Traffic Police of seizing vehicles belonging to companies, replacing their plates against the owners’ wishes and demanding payment exclusively in US dollars to issue new plates or recover the vehicles. It maintains that the old plates had been issued by the same directorate after the required fees were paid and remain valid proof of registration.
The organisation says it has identified no law, ministerial order, regulation or public notice authorising the seizures, the compulsory replacement of plates or the collection of additional fees in foreign currency. It considers that the practice violates the Transitional Constitution, particularly rules relating to legality, Parliament’s power to impose taxes, the legal tender status of the South Sudanese pound and the protection of private property.
The Bar Association is also calling for an independent investigation into the officers involved and a public announcement of the measures taken. It could petition the South Sudanese courts, the East African Court of Justice or the South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission. It advises the companies concerned to keep their receipts and other documents relating to the payments and seizures.
