Sep 18, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — South Sudan’s military court, the General Court Martial, has sentenced two policemen to death through execution by a firing squad.
According to the General Court Martial, the two policemen were found guilty in the murder case of a university lecturer Bol Chol who was shot dead on Sunday, January 12, 2020 near a police post at Kubri Haboba.
The presiding judge of the General Court Martial, Lt. Gen Stephen Babanen, read out the verdicts that stripped off all ranks and police benefits from the two police officers and sentenced them to death by firing squad.
One of the two suspects, John Makur Mabior Dhelbeny, who was a sergeant in the police service was sentenced to death in absentia.
“The first accused person, Sergeant John Makur Mabior Dhelbeny (at large), stripped from the rank of Sergeant to private, dismissed from the South Sudan National Police Service active list, he is deprived from being paid post retirement pension or after service gratuity if any, and sentence to death in his absentia and be executed with firing squad when apprehended”, Babanen reads.
The two accused, former police officer John Makur Mabior and civilian Mathiang Ater Makuei were both arrested by the police in February but Makur Mabior, the primer suspect, found his ways out of prison and escaped.
According to the general court martial, the civilian Mathiang Ater gave John Makur Mabior a ride to the crime scene where Makur went on to allegedly kill the victim, Bol Chol.
Speaking to the media, the military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Kong defended the sentencing saying that the law should be allowed to take it course.
“A death sentence is not a simple thing. It will act as a deterrent. We have laws. It doesn’t matter how aggrieved you are, the laws of South Sudan are very crystal clear. Whenever you are wronged, let the legal process take its course”, Lul Ruai Kong said.
It remains unclear how the prime suspect, John Makur, escaped from the Giada Military Police facility but the military spokeman said at least six people are being held accountable for his escape while the security forces are searching for him.
The deceased Bol Chol, who hailed from Western Lakes State, was a lecturer of law at the University of Juba. He was murdered at the age of 36 year old.
South Sudan still practice the old capital punishment and the military uses firing squad method that is widely criticized.
