INTERVIEW: Warrap police speak out on shootings
December 13, 2014 (JUBA) – The spokesperson for Warrap state police, Machol Deng spoke to Sudan Tribune on Thursday about two separate incidents, in which an officer fired at colleagues while another mysteriously died while in detention. Excepts below:
Q: What do you know about this given what happened?
A: First of all I would like to say that it was unfortunate that some soldiers were hurt in the course of their duty but it is also good to inform that none of the wounded police soldiers has died. They sustained injuries and they are now being nursed in the hospital. The police leadership here in Kuacjok is taking care of them and I want to assure that the general situation calm.
Q: What cause of the all these?
A: It is a long story to talk about the whole story but what I can say is that this officer was arrested more than six months ago after he was accused to have mishandled some money. He was the cashier at the prison and correctional services department and there were some money in the office and he was the one on duty during that time. When time came for him to be changed and for him to hand over all the things to the other officer who was coming in to take over because the duty is done in shift, the incoming officer discovered difference in the amount of money which was under his care, so he decided to ask what happened to the money but the outgoing officer who was him (Albino Akol Akot) denied knowing the cause of the differences and insisted that the incoming officer should take over without questioning him on what happened to the money.
When the administration was informed about these differences, it was then decided that an investigation committee is formed to find out facts. When the investigation finishes it work, it was found out that 65,000 South Sudanese pound was not accounted for. So the leadership of the prison and correctional services decided to open the case against the officer who was responsible because this was public money. When the case was opened and the judge asked the accused to appear in court for defend, he decided to go to court with hand held grenade placed inside the sock of his shoe. This was discovered by the police guarding the court and he was sent away.
The hearing was adjourned and was summoned to appear the next day but failed. Another summon was again issued and was asked to appear but failed. The third one was issued again and given to the criminal investigation department for delivery to him. When members of the criminal investigation took it to him on Thursday, he decided not to take it and refused to take it from them and said he would not go. Either they leave him dead or they go away with summon. It was during this time of exchange of words that he fired at the police, injuring one of them and later two of the passing soldiers.
Q: When did this incident take place and how did the general public react to it because we are told there was exchange of fire after the officer refused to take the summon?
A: The first exchange of fire begun on Thursday evening at around 6:12pm and went on until around 9:10pm without success till the SPLA forces intervened and his house was surrounded. When the SPLA forces were deployed, the members of the general public cried and they asked them not to shoot but rather allow them to talk to him to surrender. Because he was wild after he was wounded during exchange of fire, the members of the general public, especially his neigbours who felt they could be the victims of cross fire, used microphone to talk to him. They used the microphone to talk and talked pleading with him to stop firing and surrender.
This was happening while the SPLA forces increased their strength and deployed around his house. When he saw that there was no way out compounded by the reality that he was in pain with no access to medical care, he decided to surrender himself and so he was taken to the prison. He is now under arrest. This of course became a concern. The town was frightened by the exchange of fire and civilians panicked by the shooting. But the general situation is now under control.
Q: What do you know about another incident in which a member of the criminal investigation department is said to have died? Do you know the circumstances under which he died and what caused it?
A: Yes, it is true Mohammed Ayii has died. The cause is not clear. What I know is that Mohammed Ayii was a member of the criminal investigation department here in Warrap state and was having mental problem. He was not mentally stable. So colleagues decided to restrain him. He was chained at their headquarters in a facility divided into detention cell and part of it as the office.
He has been there with them in detention for a very long time until on Thursday when the whole town saw the facility in which he was detained in flame. Investigation is now being conducted but the preliminary information I have is that he was left inside the facility with the lighter. I am told he had asked for a cigarette and the officer who was on duty decided to go to look for it but before he could return with it, he saw the facility already burning and so he decided to keep away.
He says he does not know what happened after he left but he suspected that may be he might have light the lighter to set the facility on fire. This is just an assumption. The full investigation to establish the cause is being conducted and the members of the general public will be made aware when it is completed.
(ST)