S. Sudan: five arrested over police officer’s death

December 2, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan police have arrested five suspects in connection with Saturday’s murder of Mustapha Tito Acuil, an officer attached to the customs department at Juba airport.

“Five people have been arrested. They are suspected to have played a role because they were the last people found to have communicated with him”, said Abraham Mayuat, a police commissioner in Central Equatoria state.

“We found this through telephone numbers,” he further told Sudan Tribune.

The senior police officer neither revealed the identities of those arrested nor what prompted police to zero on the five suspect.

The deceased, a son of South Sudan’s former police chief, was found dead in his own vehicle, which was set ablaze by those who carried out the brutal act.

It is still unclear as to what led to his death, though security agents have promised thorough investigations into the matter.

“We have lost one of our own in a brutal cold-blooded murder,” police spokesperson Col. James Monday said Tuesday.

He called for justice against the perpetuators, once identified.

Although, no statement has been released by the deceased’s family, police say they were in touch with relatives, stressing that it was every citizen’s right to demand official investigation into such matters.

“Obviously the government is concerned. There is already a sense of anguish at what happened,” said Pieng Deng Kuol, the country’s inspector general of police.

“We are in contact with the family. They have requested a thorough investigation and as their rights, they have asked us to bring to book those who are involved in the death and the consequent issues that followed”, he added in a interview on Tuesday.

(ST)