Northern Bahr el Ghazal State police on Friday last week released activist Samuel Garang Dut after holding and investigating him on defamation charges.
On 9 April, Governor Tong Akeen Ngor, through an aide, opened a defamation case against the activist and a warrant of arrest was issued by the state public prosecutor.
Garang, a critic of the state government led by Governor Tong Akeen, has consistently lambasted the state authorities, saying that the Tong-led government has failed to adhere to qualities of good management.
Capt. Guot Guot Akol, the spokesman for Northern Bahr el Ghazal State police, confirmed that the jailed activist was released on the orders of the public prosecutor and will appear before the court.
“He was released on the same day. He was arrested in the morning and around 4 pm he was set free, he will not come back to detention cells again because the criminal case was opened against him, and investigations were carried out. The public prosecutor granted him to be released on bail until they meet before the court. We don’t have any relation with this process,’’ Capt. Guot said.
Samuel Garang said he is not scared of intimidation by the state government because his constitutional rights to fight for good governance and accountability benefits common citizens.
“I do not fear anything because I am a citizen of this state and the constitution gives me rights to speak if something goes wrong. After all, what I am talking about are good governance, transparency, and accountability in state affairs,’’ Garang said. “I am not against the big man in person, but I am against the system. I don’t know what will happen when he comes back from Juba. Whether he will decide to arrest me or decides to take me to court. But if he wants to go to court, it is fine and I will also want to meet him in person to come to the court because I don’t want to talk with a lawyer or a person he delegates.’’
Aweil Community Based Organizations Forum (ACBOF) welcomed Garang’s release.
Santino Deng Ngong, the Executive Director for ACBOF, said: “I am really glad to hear the good news that the young man, the political activist Samuel Garang Dut, has been released from detention. We appreciate the authorities for listening to the voices of concerned citizens that are crying about the challenges they are facing.’’
Deng encouraged all political and civil activists to express their opinions in a constructive manner which is core in freedom of expression and opinion.