SSBC managing director denies links with journalist Garang John’s detention

JUBA, JANUARY 19^TH 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The managing director of the state-own South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) James Magok Chillim has denied allegations on social media that he is behind the detention, by the National Security Service (NSS), of journalist Garang John.

Garang went missing on Monday morning after meeting a SSBC journalist who is allegedly deployed to the state television station as undercover agent by the National Security Service and has since been kept at the notorious Blue House, according to friends.

In a statement on his Facebook page yesterday, Ayuen Panchol, a South Sudan journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya, said that a “reliable source” told him that Garang John’s arrested originated and was coordinated by the SSBC managing director.

The statement by Ayuen quoted the anonymous source as saying that the reason behind Garang John’s detention “is related to work at the state-run SSBC, where Garang resumed reporting recently” and that Magok “got shaken by Garang’s return, thinking he could take over his position.”

In a statement, Magok said he is surprised to seen himself being implicated by the Nairobi-based journalist and distanced himself from the arrest.

“I have never arrested anyone and I have no powers to arrest, neither do I have any warrant of arrest for Garang John which he claimed in his page that I am behind his arrest,” Magok said , referring to the accusation by Ayuen.

The top SSBC official further revealed that Garang John had left for study nearly four years ago and was subsequently dismissed and has not been returned to his job since he returned to the country’s capital Juba.

“I know nothing about Garang John where he is arrest or not. Too Garang John since he left SSBC for Studies 4 years ago and was dismissed by the Committee of Public Service in absentia, and since then up to now hasn’t been reinstated by the Public Service as SSBC staff,” he said.