More than 30 members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party were on Tuesday evening arrested and detained by the police in Bor town, Jonglei State.
Those arrested, most of whom are former constitutional post holders, said their arrest was politically motivated.
One of the detainees, Gabriel Deng Ajak, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday, “Our arrest is politically motivated. It has nothing to do with defamation. More than 30 of us were arrested because of the petition we wrote to President Kiir against the deputy governor. We were arrested by the deputy governor. We do not know anyone we defamed.”
Deng, who served as the Jonglei Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) director, said they have yet to be investigated since the arrests on Tuesday.
“Up to now, we have not been investigated. We do not know what we will be investigated for. But the police said they will investigate us today (Wednesday). Now, at the cell, we are 11. The rest have been escorted by police to their homes to change clothes,” Deng said.
Lt. Akec Mapiou, the state police spokesperson, denied Deng’s claims and said they are only holding three people on defamation charges.
“In our custody, we have three people; Isaac Mamer Ruk, Gabriel Deng Ajak, and an artist called Gunjamus. They were arrested on Tuesday after Bor Municipality employee Ateny Pech filed a case through the office of the public prosecutor that he has been defamed by those people.”
The police officer pointed out that the investigations are still ongoing and that the accused will be arraigned before a court as soon as the investigation is complete.
“This is a case involving individuals, not the government. Of course, after the investigations, they will be bailed out pending court trial,” Lt. Mapiou added.
For his part, Ateny Pech, an SPLM party member in the state, admitted that he had brought defamation charges against his colleagues in the party.
“I arrested those three people because they defamed me. In a letter they wrote to the president, they included my name and forged my signature but I do not know what the letter is all about,” Ateny explained. “I arrested those 3 people because they are the ringleaders. The reason why there are more than three at the cell, I do not know. But if those who thought they are part of this also reported themselves, then I am ready to also sue them.”
Several attempts by Radio Tamazuj to reach the state deputy governor for comment were unsuccessful, while the information minister’s telephone did not go through.
Late last month, more than 30 SPLM members, most of whom are former constitutional post holders, petitioned President Salva Kiir calling for the state deputy governor’s removal and accusing him of inciting hatred and division among party members.