South Sudan’s police have arrested the editor-in-chief of Juba Monitor newspaper a week after a court order suspending the newspaper’s activities, a lawyer said.
On 12 April, a Juba court suspended activities of the Juba Monitor newspaper over alleged malpractices until a final court ruling. The court also suspended the activities of Grand Media Africa firm, which runs the independent newspaper.
“Freezing of all Juba Monitor Bank Accounts and the newspaper’s activities. Appointment of three administrators, two from plaintiff and defendant and one from court to observe assets of company and newspaper,” the court order read in part.
Lazarus Legu, the newspaper’s legal adviser, told Radio Tamazuj this morning that Anna Nimiriano was arrested by police on Tuesday afternoon and was being held at Juba Main Prison.
“The newspaper was operating normally after the court order because we had filed an appeal against the court order that was issued on 12 April. Also, the newspaper was still operating despite the court order because the management was in the process to clear some commitments,” he explained.
According to the lawyer, the Juba Monitor newspaper has not appeared on the streets of South Sudan’s capital Juba today.
Lazarus said they have lodged an appeal against the court order.
The lawyer explained that the suspension of Juba Monitor newspaper came after the family who is the heir to the properties of late Alfred Taban had a disagreement with the company over the sharing of resources.
Lazarus pointed out that the family of late Alfred Taban had filed a lawsuit against the management of the Grand Media Africa Company.
“The family of late Alfred went to court and asked the court to intervene claiming that the newspaper was being mismanaged. What the family of late Alfred Taban does not know is that the stakeholders who established the company are 10 in number. Late Alfred’s share in the company is 13% only,” Lazarus said.
The family lawyer of the late Alfred Taban could not immediately be reached for comment.