Appeal for S. Sudan’s Kiir to pardon businessman Agou intensifies

March 14, 2018 (JUBA) – Appeals for South Sudan President, Salva Kiir to pardon businessman John Agou Wuoi, who has been in detention since 29 May 2015, continues gaining momentum.

On 10 March , Agou’s father, John Wuoi Cuit wrote to veteran South Sudanese politician Bona Malwal Madut, seeking his intervention in the release of his son, who suffers from a chronic disease.

Madut, a member of the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE), also doubles as the rapporteur for the national dialogue committee initiated by the president.

In a letter Sudan Tribune obtained, Agou’s father seeks the personal intervention of Malwal toward the release of his sons, citing what he describes as the “dire” health and humanitarian situation of his son.

“As a good friend, a comrade in arms and an elder of South Sudan, I would like to humbly request you to intervene in the case of my son John Agou and appeal to President Salva Kiir Mayardit on behalf of my family to forgive and pardon my son John Agou Wuoi for mistakes he may have done and show him kindness and mercy and pardon him just like he pardoned and released some of the individuals who were jailed together with my son or like many other people that H.E. the President has forgiven and granted amnesty,” partly reads the 10 March letter addressed to Malwal.

Agou is one of the 16 individuals accused of corruption in the president’s office. He was arrested on 29 May 2015 with four Kenyans who were employees of his company, Click Technologies Limited.

Click Technologies Limited had been contracted to supply office stationeries and equipment to president’s office between 2011-2015.

The decision to pardon all the individuals, including the Kenyans, and all the South Sudanese jailed with them, was agreed following bilateral talks between Kiir and his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta when the latter took oath of office in November 2017.

In the letter, Wuoi says his jailed son has been referred abroad for further specialized treatment and management that are “not possible within the prison environment or even in South Sudan”.

“The health of my son John Agou Wuoi is declining and deteriorating as a result of these illnesses. In addition, John Agou Wuoi has a young family that he needs to raise and provide for as a husband and a father,” notes the letter to veteran South Sudanese politician.

“This [his release from prison] will allow my son to go for further medical treatment abroad as recommended by the National Medical Commission at the Ministry of Health,” it further added.

CORRUPTION CASE

The 16 individuals implicated in this case included, Mayen Wol Jong (former chief administrator) and Yel Luol Koor (former executive director), among other senior officials who worked at the presidency.

The 16 individuals were taken to court and were all convicted of the crimes they were accused of having committed. They appealed against the ruling and the case against them was quashed by the Court of Appeal and a retrial of the case was ordered. However, the prosecution represented by the Ministry of Justice appealed to the country’s Supreme Court against the decision in the Appeal Court.

On 18 September 2017, the Supreme Court rendered its judgment acquitting six individuals and handed them different convictions, prison sentences and fined 10 other individuals, who included Agou. On 6 December, however, the South Sudanese leader issued a Republican Order pardoning nine individuals (four Kenyans and five South Sudanese), but Agou was left out of the presidential pardon for unknown reasons, even though those freed were in jail for committing the same crime.

(ST)