Maiwut state officials are accusing the state governor Bol Ruach Rom of illegally arresting and detaining senior government officials last week.
Maiwut state legislative assembly speaker Chuol Dim Kiir told Radio Tamazuj that four government officials are in police custody in the state capital Pagak.
He said the officials include Kaijak County MP Simon Tut Gang, chairperson for Maiwut State Revenue Authority George Bill Lul and his deputy Kueth Chuol Nguol and the executive chief of protocol in the State Secretariat Ms. Nyamoc Ngele Kuon.
Speaker Dim accused the state governor for mobilizing some MPs to impeach the deputy governor Hassan Bali Atik due to political differences.
“There was a secret meeting conducted one night between governor and some MPs from his home county with the intention to mobilize MPs to impeach deputy governor but during the session chaired by me, majority of MPs rejected the impeachment of the deputy governor, although he was absent from duty for at least six months while in Juba and now he remained the deputy governor,” he said.
Dim said those arrested have been critical of the governors’ call to impeach deputy governor. However he stated that the actions of the governor and police commissioner are in breach of the South Sudan constitution.
“I was not informed when the security arrested the MP, but according to the article 63 sub article 1 and 2 as a member of the legislative assembly the constitution gives us immunity not to be arrested unless the police caught you red-handed, where they will arrested you without arrest warrant. Also according to the conduct of business there should be no arrest even though there is a crime, the speaker and the minister of justice must be informed so that the assembly will revoke your immunity before you are arrested,” he said.
However, Baruach Uluch Akolaton, the state information minister said the MP is accused of planning to assassinate the governor while the other three are held for administrative issues.
“The investigation is under CID in police Station. The information that I received from them was that the lawmaker was arrested because he was planning to assassinate Maiwut state governor Bol Ruach Rom,” Akolaton said.
Maiwut governor, Bol Ruach Rom was appointed under former SPLM I-O ticket loyal to Taban Deng, while Hassan Bali Atik, his deputy was appointed head of SPLM party before the dissolution of Taban’s SPLM-IO party. The two leaders have since disagreed on a number of issues.