Tijwog Agwet, the Chief Executive Officer of Radio Jonglei - Courtesy

The Chief Executive Officer of Radio Jonglei said he suspended four of his staff for not cooperating with the state government investigation committee.

Tijwog Agwet says John Achiek Mabior, the station director; Manager Majok Guet, Finance officer Matuor Mabior and Deng Ghai, the chief editor did not obey his orders.

Tijwog alleges that he had ordered his staff not to interfere with the investigations by the government committee when they were summoned over the matter.

Last week, the State Information Minister of Information John Samuel Manyuon put the radio off air for failing to broadcast the voice of governor Denay Chagor on 16 May.

According to Manyuon, the community radio undermined the state leadership.

In response, Radio Jonglei C.E.O Tijwog Agwet regarded the matter as a mistake and the board will investigate what transpired.

On Monday, Tijwog decided to suspend four of the staff to investigate them over the matter.

Tijwog explains to Eye Radio why he took the decision to suspend his senior staff.

“When we were summoned, I told my staff and gave them orders not to go and mentioned any excuse as to why they did not play any clip from the governor because some of them will say the governor spoke about peace and not about 16^th May,” Tijwog said.

“We were summoned, nobody came and closed down our radio station. They just summoned us and gave us three days to go and explain why this happened,”

“They went and quarrelled with the government committee, that your government doesn’t even call us when you have your meetings so why are you interfering with our things?

“We can take out what we want to take out and put what we want to put and whoever we want,”

“Now what should I do? I should suspend these people and investigate them to see if there is any political influence, if there is any other person involved. This is why I suspended them.”

Reacting to the suspension by the C.E.O, the chief editor, Deng Ghai Deng, terms the suspension by their boss as betrayal.

He believes if at all there was to be any suspension, then it should have been the reporter rather than the four people that were suspended without any investigation done.

“In my opinion, what has been done by the C.E.O looks like a betrayal because according to the procedurals that were supposed to be followed,” Deng Ghai told Eye Radio.

“There was no need to suspend the number of people that were suspended. The reporter who did not submit the clips of the governor was to be investigated and find out if there any motive or not,

“The other group like the director, manager, the editor I don’t see any reason for suspending them.”

After the closure of the radio, the Media Authority criticized Minister Manyuons’ decision saying his action was not procedural.

The media regulatory body then called for immediate lifting of the suspension and advised the state authorities not to interfere with the independence of the legally registered radio.