Businessman Bak Mayen requests 1.5 million dollars in defamation case

Businessman Bak Mayen,63, has requested court to grant him 1.5 million U.S dollars as compensation in the ongoing criminal defamation case before the Juba County Court.

 Mayen filed case against lawyer Peter Madut Majok Kuol on December 28, 2023 whom he accused of defaming him on his Facebook page.

“In 2013, I loaned a black Prado vehicle priced at 50,000 dollars to Peter. In 2016, after paying a loan of 1 million South Sudanese Pounds, I took another loan of 2 million SSP and I paid him 18,000 dollars in 2018, he later on said that the payment was delayed for 12 months and I added him 11,000 dollars,” Mayen told the Juba County Court on Tuesday during hearing of the case.

He said that Majok misled the public in their business dealings when he published a video in Dinka language on his Facebook page in November that went viral, alleging that Mayen conned him of his money and that he is still owed a balance of 200,000 dollars.

“The way he has exaggerated the interest rate as indicated on his Facebook page is defamatory and for that reason, I request 1.5 million dollars as compensation and a Prado or its equivalent price of 50,000 dollars,” Mayen said.

The Juba County Court concluded examination of evidence tabled before it following examination and questioning of Majok by Mayen’s lawyers.

 Majok acknowledged before the presiding judge Nyang Wol that the viral video purportedly defaming Mayen was made by him. 

 Gudi Antipas, the lawyer representing Majok Kuol said his client is innocent until he is proven guilty by the court.

“You cannot come to court without any intention, the accused person is innocent until he is proven guilty,” Antipas said.