Former mayor of Juba City Council, Kalisto Ladu, is currently facing criminal charges and detention by South Sudan authorities, as revealed by Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga. This announcement was made during thanksgiving prayers for veteran politician Alfred Ladu Gore’s return to the country after medical treatment abroad.
Igga clarified that his office was not involved in Ladu’s arrest, emphasizing that the government was responsible for the detainment and planned court proceedings. Senior officials, including Igga, SPLM Deputy Chairman Daniel Awet Akot, and Central Equatoria Governor Augustino Jadalla, were shown incriminating evidence against Ladu in a two-hour video.
Reported serious charges against Ladu include conspiracy, subversion of government, supplying weapons to insurgents, possession of dangerous weapons, and spreading false statements detrimental to South Sudan. Despite constitutional requirements for detainees to appear before a judge within 24 hours, this process is often delayed.
Ladu, known for advocating against land grabbing in Juba, was forcefully taken by National Security operatives from his home in March and has been incommunicado since then. Stay tuned for updates on this ongoing legal issue in South Sudan.