By Hou Akot Hou
A court in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State (NBGs) has sentenced the Chairperson of the Youth Union Mr. Tito Awen Bol to one-month imprisonment.
Mr. Tawen Bol was arrested on Tuesday along with two other colleagues. He was dragged to court on Wednesday, November 1, where he was charged with convening an illegal meeting on what they call an annual review of union activities.
They were arbitrarily arrested for what the security authorities termed illicit habits practiced by the youth union leadership.
Presiding judge Deng Tong charged Mr. Awen with conducting a meeting without clearance or approval from concerned authorities, citing articles in the constitution.
The high court in Aweil also charged Tito Awen on Wednesday for smacking an officer named William Diing Aher, coupled with a lack of a letter of approval.
The court handed Awen one month of imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 SSP. And he was immediately taken to Aweil Central Prison.
Meanwhile, reacting to the court verdict, Awen’s lawyer, advocate Bulis Nguak, vows to appeal against the court ruling.
He said that they don’t see a reason for the Aweil High Court to reach such a decision, saying the verdict is all about bedeviling the youth chairperson’s capabilities.
“This is not the right decision taken by the court. I am not happy with other relatives. We are going to ensure that the $50,000 SSP fine is cleared, and a sentence of one month is not important,” he said.
“Therefore, I would like to make it crystal clear that this is an inadvertent decision, and a step has to be taken against such a nuisance decision,” Nguak continued.
The lawyer added that he would work hard to ensure that his client, Awen, who was injured during his arrest on Tuesday at the Railway Hotel, is granted bail so that he can seek treatment.
The youth leader, Mr. Tito, has been at loggerheads with some members of the youth cabinet who had previously labeled accusations against him ranging from corruption, a lack of meetings with youth leadership, and moving away without discharging his duties.
The state youth union councilors, who have been working with Awen, fell out with him in August and suspended him from his roles for a three-month period.