A policeman has been detained and is being investigated for battering the local county SPLM party secretary in the main market in Yirol West County in Lakes State on Monday.
The county’s executive director, Mabor Awer, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that he condemned the beating of the party official, Maker Makeny, and that the policeman acted irrationally.
“I was the one who ordered the organized forces to go on a patrol in Yirol West County market and to ensure that the road is opened. When the policemen arrived in the market, they started to chase those who could not listen to decongest the market,” he explained. “This is where the police had a misunderstanding with one of the local vendors in the market and the SPLM Yirol West County secretary intervened, and unfortunately he ended up being beaten by a policeman because he was not recognized.”
Awer said the policeman who lashed the party official across the back with a stick is now undergoing investigation in police custody.
“We called the SPLM county secretary who was beaten by soldiers for a meeting and we apologized to him for what happened. We have arrested the policeman who acted beyond the orders given to open the congested roads in Yirol market,” he said. “The SPLM secretary is a young responsible person who stands behind his people whenever he sees things going wrong and that is why he had a misunderstanding with the organized forces who did not recognize him.”
According to Awer, the matter has been resolved and the party official forgave and asked the county authorities to release the policeman.
Meanwhile, Simon Jok Anyuat, the police investigator in Yirol West County, confirmed that the issue has been resolved.
“They were in a meeting today (Tuesday) and the issue has been resolved because the soldiers were just given orders to open up the congested roads in the market and they did not recognize the SPLM secretary when he intervened to rescue one of the youth from being beaten by soldiers,” he said.
An eye witness, Simon Anai, said that the incident occurred at 3 pm but qualified that no policeman was arrested.
He identified the Yirol West County SPLM party secretary who was beaten as Maker Makeny.