A picture showing inmates at the Juba Central Prison. Photo credit: Courtesy

Eleven members of the National Brokers’ Union detained for three months in Juba Prison without court appearance demanded justice.

They were arrested in January this year for allegedly forging stamps, receipts and other official documents.

Deng Athian, a member of the National Brokers Union is among those who have been detained at the national prison.

He mentioned that one of his colleagues, who was denied bail, has been sleeping under a mango tree within the prison premises and surviving on the fruits.

He told Eye Radio that the union’s chairperson Abraham Majok, and another member are currently in critical health condition.

Athian said they had applied for bailed out, but the same criminal investigation department that opened a case against them turned down their appeal.

“We have spent three months here, the complainers are CID personnel and even those who arrested us are CID personnel at the same time, this is very strange in the law,” said Athian.

“The office of the attorney general at the police station is working based on the method that CID personnel are using,” he said.

“CID refused the ordinary bailout which we have granted by the law with the excuse that the investigation is still going on, and the investigation with who is not clear.

Athian says some of his colleagues in prison are ill, one of whom was released on medical grounds.

“We have two people including our chairman Abraham Majok and the other member who is seriously sick and in very critical condition and sleeping under the mango tree there at the Police Station of Northern division,” said Athian.

“The other nine are in Juba Central Prison and we have one member who was released due to his health condition, so now we remain eleven members,” he said.

He is now appealing to the Ministry of Interior to intervene and refer them to the court for trial.

“I am appealing to the Ministry of the Interior to refer this case to the court urgently, if we are guilty let’s prove that in front of the judge.

“The CID is not a court to detain us in prison without being taken to the court and we are not guilty.”

When contacted by Eye Radio, spokesperson Major General Daniel Justin says the police do not detain suspects for more than a day.

He believes that the case might have reached the court – and if so, it is the Ministry of Justice to intervene.

“We as police cannot detain anybody for more than one day, the relevant attorney general is the one to be called because if our case ends,” said Gen Justin.

“The attorney general is the one to renew or extend the detention if they stay three months, that means their case is in the court and the court is the one renewing their case,” he said.

“The CID personnel belong to us and they are only investigators and the Ministry of Justice is the one to intervene.”

Brokers are individuals or firms who act as intermediaries between investors and clients.

They act as agents for customers and charge the customer a commission for his/her services.