Police debunks claims it arrested Yakani, warns public against disinformation

JUBA – South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) has issued a statement dismissing claims that it has arrested the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani and urged media houses to crosscheck information before publication.

Yesterday, Journalist Michael Christopher, the editor in chief of al Watan Newspaper, claimed in a social media Facebook post that Yakani was arrested by the police after he was charged by the a public prosecutor with “cursing threatening.”

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization however denied the arrest claims against its executive director and said that the civil society watchdog may consider legal avenues to deal with the circulation of fake information against its management.

In a statement this morning, the police said the reports circulating on social media regarding the alleged arrest of Yakani are untrue and urged media organizations to consider cross-checking information before discharging them to the public.

“There have been a number of reports in some sections of the media alleging that police have arrested Mr. Edmund Yakani Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) those allegations are totally false and we urge the public to disregard it,” the police statement said.

“Our offices are open to the media to crosscheck such information before publishing them,” the statement added.

The statement further stated that a former employee of CEPO had filed a case against CEPO as an organization and Yakani in his capacity as the executive director of the civil society watchdog approached the public prosecutor immediately to settle the matter.

“What happened on 26 August 2022 was that Mr. Keri Justin Bosco, manager of Sustainable Development, who was once an employee of CEPO and still demand his benefits of 26000 USD from the said organization opened a case no. 3724 under sections 246/346 of Panel Code Act at Muana police station,” the statement said.

“Mr. Edmund personally went to public prosecutor Attorney yesterday at Muana police station to clear himself and therefore the case was closed by public prosecutor and they were told to settle it outside the police since Mr. Keri Justin had received 8500 USD as part of the payment,” the statement added.