A County Court Judge in Rumbek Central County in Lakes State on Tuesday dismissed the case brought against 5 teachers who were detained at the Panda military barracks and later in Rumbek Central Prison for 65-days without lawful procedures.
Judge Akel Alex, during the third hearing, dismissed the case based on section 256 of the Criminal Procedures Act and se3t the teachers free.
A pro bono lawyer, David Kaman Bol, who represented the teacher, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that the judge knew the legal procedures and dismissed the case against his clients.
“Today (Tuesday), County Court Judge Akel Alex issued an order for the dismissal of the case against the teachers under section 256 of the criminal procedures act,” he explained. “The judge is the one who knows the legal procedures and we have been saying that these teachers are not criminals because they did not commit any crime and they should be released.”
“When somebody comes to your office and asks for his rights, it is not a punishable crime by law,” he added.
Kaman said the teachers were merely demanding their full salaries as increased by the national government with effect from July 2021 and salary arrears.
“Legally, the teachers have a right to open a case against the ministry of education which illegally ordered their arrest and detention in the military barracks and Rumbek Central prison yet they did not commit any crime,” he charged. “That one is an unlawful arrest and they have been detained without lawful procedures and the ministry of education should pay for this.”
Emmanuel Mapuor Mabor, one of the teachers who were in detention, expressed happiness upon the case against them being dismissed.
“It is a pleasure to receive the good news that the County Court has sat us free. It is a wonderful thing to be set free. This shows that justice for us all has been served,” he said. “The journey of our detention started from Panda military barracks and we were transferred to Rumbek Central Prison. We spent 65 days since we got arrested on 20 June. We fell sick and were psychologically tortured in the military barracks.”
Mapour said it was the mandate of teachers to transfer knowledge and that they must be treated with respect.
“The minister of education charged us as rebels, criminals, and opposition and we are surprised because who is a criminal here?” he asked. “Is it us who demanded our rights or the person who took other people’s things?”
Daniel Laat Kon, a civil society activist in Lakes State, commended the lawyers who represented the teachers for free and the County Court Judge for “standing up with the poor and vulnerable teachers” throughout their two months of the ordeal.
Meanwhile, the director of accounts in the state ministry of education, Mayen Mading, declined to comment after the court decided to dismiss the case against the teachers.
The judge gave the ministry of education 14 days to appeal the ruling.