A murder suspect who was handed over by his relatives to Rumbek East authorities on Wednesday last week was allegedly executed by firing squad on the same day.

The suspect, Sabit Marol Kuctiel, who also passes by the nickname Rel-Cheeth, was suspected to have been involved in the killing of a mother and her 13-year-old son in Pacong Payam on Monday.

In a phone interview with Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, the Paramount Chief of Malengagok Payam, Sultan Majak Agok Machol, confirmed that Sabit Marol Kuctiel, also known as Rel-Cheeth, was executed by firing squad. 

"He was handed to the commissioner on Wednesday and the commissioner ordered that he be killed. He (Marol) was shot with a bullet. I do not know if the commissioner was working on his own or got orders from someone else. I do not know,” chief Agok said.

He said the body of the executed man was taken to the Rumbek State Hospital, “The relatives refused to take the body for burial and said the government should bury it.” 

“The right procedure is that the statement of a criminal who has been arrested is taken and recorded then taken to the prosecutor who then takes the suspect to court where a judge makes a ruling and sentences the person. That is the law and procedure, but now we don’t know what is happening,” Chief Agok said. “He (Marol) indeed killed a mother and her child which is wrong, a heinous crime and a taboo, but the way he was executed was extrajudicial and illegal.”

Chief Agok said the community does not condone the killing of women and children and that is why they handed the murder suspect to the authorities for due justice.

The Lakes State police spokesperson, Captain Elijah Mabor Makuac, vehemently denied any knowledge of the execution of the murder suspect by firing squad in Rumbek East County. 

"No, No. I am not aware of that. What I know is that the suspect was apprehended by his relatives yesterday (Wednesday) at 7:00 am and handed over to the authorities in Rumbek East County. According to the law, wherever you commit a crime is the place where you will be arrested and your case will be settled. So, I am not aware of the (firing squad),” Capt. Mabor said.

He added, “What I know is that the suspect was apprehended because his crime was very disappointing and it angered even the relatives of the culprit and that is why they contributed to the apprehension of their son and they handed him over to the government and he was arrested there.” 

The Commissioner of Rumbek East County, Mapour Malek Malual, when contacted for comment, insinuated that he had been ordered by the newly appointed Lakes State governor, Gen. Rin Tueny Mabor, not to talk.

“Did you ask the governor? You ask the governor. He is controlling us not to talk. We will talk if he allows us,” Commissioner Malek said.

When asked if he had ordered the execution of the suspect, he suddenly disconnected the phone call.

The acting minister of information and communication, who is also the state minister of cabinet affairs, Stephen Mathiang Deng, said he had not received any information about the execution by firing squad in Rumbek East County.

“For now I am not confirming anything, but I can say that a commissioner does not have powers to fire squad anybody. I do not have any information if it is true or rumors. For now, I am not commenting until I get a proper answer for the public. I need to first confirm from the commissioner,” Mathiang said. 

However, a source (health worker) at Rumbek State Hospital who preferred anonymity due to security concerns confirmed to Radio Tamazuj last Thursday that the body of the accused murderer, Sabit Marol Kuctiel, was taken to the hospital last Wednesday. 

He said the body was picked up by the relatives of the deceased and taken for burial on the next day.

“I don’t know the details, whether he was executed by firing squad or not. But if you are talking about a person who shot a woman with her son, they brought the body two days ago (Wednesday) but the family took the body yesterday,” the source intimated. “The body was brought to the hospital and they put his body in the mortuary, then they followed the procedures with the help of police who came to the hospital. They processed the death certificate and I think with the collaboration with the family, they took the dead body.” 

Asked who brought the body of the deceased to the hospital and the cause of death as per the post-mortem, the health worker said that he was not there when the body arrived but was told by his colleague that it was delivered to the hospital by the police.

“Concerning the post mortem result, I don’t know exactly, but most probably it is because of the gunshots. There were multiple gunshots on the body, the head, and the back, like three bullet wounds,” he revealed.

Since last year, Lakes State has witnessed a surge in deadly clashes occasioned by cattle rustling, cyclic sectional and inter-communal attacks, and revenge killings which have left hundreds dead.