JUBA, South Sudan
Sept 19, 2016(Nyamilepedia) — An Additional Magistrate and Sessions Court in High court of South Sudan on Monday convicted a trader from Gumbo residential area to ten years in prison for murdering his wife in their rented house.
The convict, who was absconding for ten years after the murder, was arrested two years ago.
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The First Additional Magistrate and Sessions Judge, Simon Henry, found 32 year old, Richard Okello, a resident of Gumbo residential area in Juba, guilty of murdering his second wife 29 year old, Dudu Khemisa, in a rented house in Gumbo area in the early hours of November 19, 2010.
According to the charge-sheet, Richard was bringing cocks used in fights from Lologo area and selling them in Lologo.
He had joined his brother, who had been living with his wife in Gumbo village for over two decades. Richard was living in a rented house with his wife Dudu.
Around 2a.m. on November19, 2010, Richard hacked his wife to death.
Richard’s neighbor Amuna came out of his house after hearing Dudu’s scream.
When Amuna asked him what it was about, Richard said that his wife had the habit of making sounds during the night.
Later, Richard locked the house around 6a.m. and left in an auto rickshaw (three wheel bike) that he regularly hired.
Amuna came to Richard’s house on the morning of November 20 and then opened a window to see Dudu lying in a pool of blood in the hall.
The then Gumbo police registered a case of murder and subsequently filed a charge-sheet few weeks later.
A team of criminal Investigation Department arrested him from his house in Lologo village on July 25, 2015.
Some witnesses die in this period of 6 years, four witnesses in the case died.
When trial started early this year, some witnesses could not appear before the court for evidence because of ill-health.
Prosecutor Thomas Agok examined eleven witnesses, including Richard’s neighbor Amuna.
Richard’s elder brother, his wife and the Rider of the auto rickshaw in which Richard had left the place, also gave evidence before court.
Based on circumstantial evidence, the judge convicted Richard for murder. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Monday.
Although the high court has sentenced the accused to only 10 years for first degree murder, the same court sentenced 16 officials, including two family members, a husband and a wife, Â to death for stealing $14 million US dollar from Salva Kiir’s office.
None of 14 officials, however, appeared in the Sentry Reports that was recently released by the Enough Project.
The Sentry report implicates Salva Kiir and all his family members including his in-laws, seven sons and daughters for involving in money laundry, illegal acquisition of private property, unconstitutional outsourcing of national resources and malpractices.
The case of 32 year old Richard Okello and the 14 officials leave many South Sudanese wondering of what the cost of life really is in the young nation.
Ten of thousands have been killed in the last 3 years and millions others displaced as the senior politicians scrambles on wealth and natural resources.
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