Police claim missing leaders of Jonglei civil servants ‘escaped’ from jail

JUBA – Police authorities in Jonglei state are claiming that three leaders of civil servants who were arrested after leading protests over delayed salary arrears have escaped, days after their families reported that they were missing from jail.

Chairperson of Workers’ Trade Union David Mayen Deng, Secretary-General of Workers’ Trade Union, Samuel Majier Looch, and Chairperson of Teachers’ Trade Union Ruben Matiop Mayol, were arrested in Bor town while leading a mini-protest to demand five-month salary arrears.

Days after their arrest, the three civil servants’ leaders went missing from jail, with their families expressing concerns over their whereabouts and asked the government to disclose their whereabouts.

But the Jonglei state police chief Major General Elia Costa is saying that the three have escaped with the help of some police officers after they were taken out to eat in the market.

“They were in the police custody for further investigations, and when the police took them to go and eat outside in the market, from there they disappeared,” Major-General Elia Costa is quoted by Eye Radio as saying.

“They were not taken to Juba, but they ran away from the police custody maybe with the support from our police personnel who were on duty that day,” he added.

The top Jonglei state police officer further revealed that authorities have launched a manhunt for the civil servants’ leaders to be re-arrested.

General Costa said police have launched another manhunt to arrest of the fugitive union leaders for escaping from custody.

“So, we have opened another case against them for disappearing from the police custody and we are searching for them to arrest them.”