Four murderers escape from Police Custody in S. Sudan’s Torit
By Isaac Vuni
Feb 2, 2004 (TORIT, Eastern Equatoria) — The President of high court of Eastern Equatoria state, Justice Geri Raimondo Legge, has ordered Torit County Police to bring all pending cases and their files to his office for scrutiny. His directive came at a time when four people accused of killing eight people escaped from police guard in the compound of police Officer mass last night.
He said the state has seven sitting judges distributed to handle cases in all part of the state; four judges in Torit town; one in Kapoeta, one in Narus and one Magwi will be mobiling between Magwi and Nimule. Therefore, it is in material for any one to claim that there are many pending cases before court. Besides, it is illegal for police to take a suspected murder for working in their compound, declared Justice Legge.
Justice Legge said he has advised the governor to recruit a legal advisor for the state secretariat to handle legal issues. Adding that it is necessary also for the ministry of Physical Infrastructure, Agriculture and State Parliament should each have a legal advisor to advice them especially on issues regarding land among others. Nevertheless, my role is only to advice and it’s up to the governor and his ministers concern to either accept or reject the advice, remarks Justice Legge.
Justice Legge observed that Kapoeta prisoners are being kept in a container that was used for transporting stationery from Kenya. “This is inhuman”, how could you keep people in such a condition” asked Justice Legge.
Moved with the appalling condition of nine prisoners in the container, Justice Legge directed the commissioner of Kapoeta County to transfer the prisoners to Torit County prison. Meanwhile in Torit County prison, the warrant officer in charge of prisoners complaint of lacking food ration for detainees awaiting trial.
When asked on how the four detainees charged of murders and cattle raid in Lolianga village were released to police for cleaning police mass compound, Prison Warrant officer Ubaldo Macher said it was through verbal order from Police Inspector, Captain Pitia Johnson Wajo, conveyed to them by police Corpal Otimio Oduho, to release four of police detainees; Mr. Tulio Odongi Oliha, Mr. Thomas Alam Marcello, Mr. Ingacio Oliha Bartino and Mr. Ohide Sabasio Atana for work on police mass compound where Captain Wajo stay.
Despite the fact that there are many waiting cases in Torit county prison brought by police to our custody, “We normally don’t take prisoners who are charged with offences of murder to work” declared Warrant officer Ubaldo Macher.
The four detainees were brought by police to our custody since December 5th 2006, and they were charged with armed robbery and murder offences under section 130, 168 and 169 of Sudan criminal law of 1991 whose punishment ranges from death, ten or five years imprisonment, remarks Warrant officer Ubaldo Macher.
Despite the four detainees escaped from police guard, we were not even informed by the police who collected them from us.
The four were accused of killing eight people and injured one person, raided 809 heads of cattle and burnt 16 houses at Lolianga village.
The police officer who escorted the detained four suspects for work in the compound of Inspector of police hails from the same village of escapists.
“It seems we are in limbo because there is no seriousness in your work, otherwise, how could detainees escaped from your compound and you don’t even raise any alarm?” asked Col. Alam. This is a complete negligence, declared commissioner Alam.
The angry Commissioner Alam went on saying, “There is something very bad in police organized forces, starting from top officer to the ordinary soldiers portraying I don’t care attitude”.
Responding to Commissioner’s remarks, Police Brigadier Stephen Them Ansui, concurred with concerned expressed by Commissioner, Col. Alam, that most of his officers are not executing orders from County Commissioners who are in fact the chairman of security Committee in a county.
Brig. Ansui said most senior police officers in the state of Eastern Equatoria are showing bad example to junior police. Nevertheless, I take the blame on behalf of police forces in the state. He assured His Excellency Commissioner that he will have to reorganize his forces as soon as he resumes office on Monday February 5th 2007. Otherwise, those police who were formally serving the previous old Sudan government still behave in the same manner of NIF forces.
There are nine murder cases, seven male and two female in the Torit county prison
Sentenced 31 male and 17 female, including four women with babies four pending including one female with baby
(ST)