BREAKING: National Security officer dismissed, sentenced to 4 years for killing colleague

JUBA – South Sudan’s National Security Service Tribunal Court in Juba has on Tuesday dismissed from service, and  sentenced its own officer to at least four years in prison, after having found guilty of killing a colleague in 2017.

Captain Robert Benjamin was arrested following the killing of national security colleague, 1st Lt. Daniel William in Gudele in mid 2017.

Reading out the verdict, the presiding judge said the accused was sentenced in accordance with section 51 (6) of the National Security Service Act of 2014 and said he has been stripped of his rank, dismissed and sentenced to 4 years in prison.

“The court in its deliberation found that the first accused Capital Robert Benjamin guilty and do hereby convicted him in accordance with section  51/6 of National Security Service Act 2014 and sentenced as follows; He is stripped from his rank of Capital to private, dismissed from National Security Service active list, deprive from being paid post retired pension service or gratuities, and sentenced to four years with effect from the day of his arrest on 26 February 2017,” the judge said.

The judge said that two other parties reached a settlement of blood compensation in accordance with private right.

Speaking to reporters following the verdict, David John Kumuri, the Director of Public relations at National Security  Service said the verdict should serve as a wake-up call  for members of National Security to desist from misconduct.

“With the verdict today, the service wants to inform and assure the public that any violation or abuse of this kind, the service will not tolerate and the National Security Service does here warns its members that the National Security Service will charge it mandatorily within the detection of the law,”  John cautioned.

He said ex-capital Robert Benjamin will be sent to Civil Prison immediately to serve his jail teams

In December last year, the National Security Service launched a tribunal to hold accountable members involved in criminal activities.