By Bida Elly David
Juba city deputy mayor for infrastructure development, Thiik Thiik Mayardit is set to be dragged to the court by the Directorate of South Sudan traffic police after slapping an officer and demolishing traffic offices at Buluk police residence.
This saga transpired during a demolition exercise carried in Buluk by the Juba city Council Authority as a mechanism to set up boundaries on roads as well as adjusting the circumferences of complicated structures established in a poor surveyed manner.
In a letter seen by No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, the Directorate of traffic police accused Thiik Thiik Mayardit for closing a road that connects to the main traffic headquarters in Buluk residential area.
The director General of the traffic police Kon John Akol in the letter addressed to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional said that Thiik Thiik went further attacking the same area where the traffic offices were established demolishing some erected offices at the vicinity.
Kon wrote to the Minister of Justice requesting a case to be opened against Thiik Thiik Mayardit the deputy mayor for physical infrastructure for having acted without permission from the traffic authorities.
He stated that the mayor acted unethically by putting marks on structures without formal communication and consultation from the inhabitants and also extending the blocked road to be part and partial of Buluk stadium without the consent of the administration.
“The administration of South Sudan national traffic police is writing to your authority requesting you to open a case against the (aforementioned person, Thiik Thiik Mayardit) because of the following; He closed one road at Buluk police Residential area and made it as part of the stadium without consulting us residing in the area. He again attacked us on the 24/11/2022 at the same area (Buluk residential area) in which traffic police GHQs is built and demolished some of the offices and put marks on other offices without consulting the administration” Kon wrote in his letter
The director general of traffic police manifested that the legal step taken against the deputy mayor was an initiative to claim back their property through justice and reality with full evidence.
He echoed that slapping a traffic officer in a service uniform was a crime against the law therefore the deputy mayor must face justice to stand on factual defense.
“At the same time, Thiik Thiik slapped one of our officers on the face and took his pistol from him and up to now he has not reported it to the administration of the traffic police’ he further accused the deputy mayor.
“With the above reasons, the administration of South Sudan national traffic police is requesting your authority to open a case against him in order for us to claim our rights lawfully and peacefully” Kon noted.
The Director General condemned the act of the mayor saying that the act of using powers to execute illegal duties was a mess and can’t promote development in the city.
General Kon warned him (Thiik Thiik) against such passive behaviour. He there urged the deputy mayor to immediately prepare explain his act before the law.
Meanwhile, deputy mayor Thiik Thiik Mayardit in a statement to the media accepted the fact that he slapped the traffic officer who he (Thiik Thiik Mayardit) said abused and showed disrespect to the city council authority during the demolition exercise in Buluk.
He said that the officer he confronted acted weirdly against them during the exercise of paving roads in the suburbs uttering words of insults to the team of operation.
However, attempts to reach the deputy mayor to respond on the demolition accusations were not immediately successful by press time after several efforts made.