A journalist working for a community radio station in Yirol West County in Lakes State was over the weekend arrested by the police, his colleague said.
Sopiro Dhal Jongror was arrested on Saturday by policemen in the market where he had gone to buy dry cells for recording equipment.
Simon Nai, a colleague of the detained journalist, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that Dhal was assigned to cover a wrestling tournament between Central Equatoria State and Lakes State next weekend.
“One of our local journalists went to buy some batteries for the recorders and on his way back to the radio station, he was picked up by policemen and is now in custody at Yirol West County Police Station,” he said. “When I called some police personnel, they told me that he was going to be released but he is still in detention up to now.”
Nai suspects that Dhal was arrested because his relative eloped with a girl.
“I do not know the exact cause of his arrest while Governor Rin Tueny is in Yirol town for a wrestling tournament but I suspect it is related to the elopement of his cousin with a young girl in Yirol,” he said. “In Yirol we have relatives who live with us but we are not responsible for their crimes. Last time, Dhal was detained because one of his relatives committed a crime in Yirol West County.”
He appeals to Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny to intervene in releasing Dhal.
“The governor of Lakes State is here, has been supporting us and we appeal that he intervenes so that our journalist is released so that he can join us in covering next Saturday’s wrestling tournament,” Nai said.
Meanwhile, the police investigator in charge of Dhal’s case, Jok Anyuat, said the journalist was arrested because he stood bail for a relative who impregnated and eloped with someone’s daughter and later fled.
“He is in police custody for investigation in Yirol West County and will be released when it is confirmed that his cousin who escaped with someone’s daughter reports himself to any police station in Lakes State,” he said. “We already contacted the police in Aluakluak and in case he reports himself there, then Dhal will be released. He (Dhal) needs to talk to you because journalists are not supposed to bail out relatives or other people. We have been telling him (Dhal) severally but he does not want to agree with us.”
“Dhal’s request to bail out his cousin who later on escaped with a girl was accepted by the local chiefs but if it was us (police), we would not have accepted that to happen,” Anyuat said.