By Yang Ater Yang
A driver working for a major national road construction company, African Resource Corporation (ARC), has been arrested for murder in Lakes State.
The driver allegedly intentionally crushed and killed the project manager, identified as Besbele Tesfaya, along with assistant manager, Daniel Amana.
The incident reportedly occurred at 7:00 a.m. in Rumbek East, Akot Payam, on Thursday.
Lakes State police spokesperson, Major Elijah Mabor Makuac, confirmed the incident to No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper over the weekend.
He said the two managers were crushed and killed while supervising Rumbek East County stretch of the ongoing Bahr El Ghazal state road construction.
“The two senior officials of ARC Construction Company were killed by one of their drivers, deliberately,” the police spokesperson told this outlet.
Makuac said one of the deputy managers of the company died on the spot, and the other died later after he was evacuated to Rumbek State Hospital.
“The intention was to refer him to Juba for further medical management, but he succumbed to the injuries,” the police spokesperson said.
According to the police investigations, the driver was intending to kill the assistant site manager, with whom, according to the preliminary finding, he (driver) had a quarrel, earlier on.
The quarrel is believed to have prompted the deadly act that claimed lives of the two managers.
“He (the driver) was targeting the deputy manager, identified as Daniel Amana, and why? Because when they were playing Ludo, they had a quarrel,” Makuac explained.
“The two managers came in a small vehicle and stopped by the road where they were working, and the driver (accused), on seeing the two standing in front of their vehicle, immediately dropped the vehicle directly to them with the intention to kill the deputy manager, but unfortunately they were all crushed, and the deputy manager Daniel Amana died on the spot,” Maj. Makuac narrated.
And according to the preliminary investigation, the driver confessed that yes, he meant to kill the deputy manager.
“This is not a road or traffic accident, but it is totally a direct intentional killing and a criminal offence because he (the driver) meant it and he confessed, and this is what happened early Thursday morning,” a police spokesperson noted.
All the dead bodies were evacuated to Juba, and they will be flown back to their country of origin.
The deceased were all Eritrean nationals contracted by the ARC construction company.
The state police spokesperson added that the perpetrator will remain in remand awaiting courts of law.
The police condemned the act and urged people not to take the law in their hands.
“When you have an issue with somebody, you shouldn’t act in such a criminal way,” he said.
Makuac advised that it’s better to open a case against whoever offends the other and then have the issue settled before the court of law.
“What happened is very bad and tragic, which is totally unacceptable. Such an issue should not happen again,” he stressed.