A law professional has termed as unlawful and excessive, the 3 million pounds bail amount against a blogger detained for a crime related to his car last weekend.
On the 19th, social media users had it that journalist Mariak Bol, was detained after his friend using his car, was involved in a fatal accident along the Bilpam road.
The victimized driver reportedly knocked dead a pedestrian, before he died shortly afterwards.
Following his arrest, Bol spent more than a week behind bars before his family visited the Kubri Haboba Police Station to seek for a bail.
However, the police demanded three million South Sudanese pounds to bail him out, which the relatives cleared.
Justice Geri Raymundo, a former judge at the South Sudan Court of Appeal said bailing out someone who is not directly involved in the accident with such a heavy cash is unconstitutional.
“To demand such money like that it’s illegal, it’s unconstitutional. The worst of part of it is that most of us don’t complain especially nowadays,” said Justice Raymundo.
The counsel went on to say the country has no specific laws related to compensation, and that the crime requires restorative justice between the suspect and the deceased’s relative.
“In South Sudan, we don’t have a written law relating to compensation, and lastly, if the relatives of the deceased, the deceased opt for blood compensation, so it’s allowed because it’s part of reconciliation and settle the matter amicably between the parties and it’s good.”
For his part, Mariak Bol, who was released on Wednesday said he believes he was unfairly treated by the police.
“Legally my lawyer was telling me there is no basis of me paying that huge amount as bail since I’m not the offender, but basically this is what happened. I believe this is not correct,” he protested.
Mariak is the Editor-in-Chief of Talk Of Juba.