The high court in Aweil town of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Monday sentenced activist Samuel Garang Dut to eight months in jail and ordered him to pay SSP 2 million as compensation to the state’s governor in a defamation case. 

Garang was dragged to court on defamation charges by Governor Tong Akeen Ngor in April. The activist had earlier in April in a Facebook post accused and criticized Governor Akeen for constructing a private house in the Hai Referendum residential area of Juba using pilfered public funds.

The activist alleged that the governor sold huge quantities of cement, steel, and iron sheets which were meant for drainage systems within and outside Aweil town.  

The presiding judge, Boutros Garang Mangok, ruled against the campaigner and said he will serve eight months in jail from 28 June and pay SSP 2 million to the governor. 

“Samuel Garang Dut, the Aweil high court has sentenced you to jail for eight months due to your violation of the article (298) of Southern Sudan Penal Code 2008 with effect from 28th June 2021. Again, the jailed will pay 2 million South Sudanese Pounds as compensation to the defamed person (Tong Akeen Ngor),” Justice Mangok ruled.

The activist’s lawyer, Madut Santino Deng, vowed to appeal as soon as possible because according to him the court ruling was unfair.

“I am telling you that I am not happy with the decreed sentence, but after all, I will appeal starting from today on because the judgment is not just and this is my explanation on the case. In my view, the ruling is not fair,’’ said Deng.

The lawyer added that his client has the constitutional right to comment on the governor because he is a public figure and everyone owns the right to express their views on any public office holder.

Tereza Achol Bilwan, the executive director for Women Peace Forum (WPF) in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State said she was disappointed by the imprisonment of the human rights activist, saying that Dut was not fighting for himself but for people's wellbeing.   

“My personal view is that the high court never used the justice and equality method if there is such a thing. This person (Samuel Garang) is defending people from hunger and floods and finally, people are surprised with the governor’s new building,” Achol said.