Thiik Thiik Mayardit, Deputy Mayor of Juba. | Courtesy photo.

The Deputy Mayor of Juba City has admitted to slapping a traffic police officer in Juba on Friday, saying the officer disobeyed him.

Thiik Thiik Mayardit says he assaulted one of officers who is a First Lieutenant while the City Council were opening roads.

The incident happened in front of the traffic police office near the Buluk playground in Juba.

According to Thiik, the traffic officers refused to obey his orders not to cross a road that was under construction.

“On Friday, we started opening the roads from Buluk up to the football playground in Buluk, so when we start opening the road we told the people that they shouldn’t cross the road because we are working there,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Thiik said the officer he confronted reacted aggressively questioning who he was to give him orders and he insulted him.

Thiik said he had lost his temper when he slapped the officer.

“So, one of the police officers pass through and I stopped him to ask where he was going. He told me, who are you to stop me and he was going.”

“The bodyguards of Mayor stopped him, so I asked him, my friend, what’s wrong with you? You are told not cross, and you are trying to cross the road. So he told me who are you to ask me, I don’t talk to stupid people.”

“So, in that sense I cannot accept, I slapped him I will not deny it because he was also ignoring me, and he want those police soldiers to obey him.”

According to an eye witness, the unnamed officer had allegedly attacked the city mayor, Michael Allah-Jabu – before the incident.

The accused police are yet to comment on the matter