SOUTH SUDAN: One Suspect in the Shooting of Bishop-elect in Rumbek Diocese Confesses
Ginaba Lino
One suspect out of the six suspects accused of shooting the Bishop-elect of the Catholic Diocese of Rumbek, on Thursday confessed before South Sudan High Court that he is guilty.
The accused number five identified only as Sebit confessed to Presiding Judge Alexander Sebur Subek in Juba that he opened fire on the bishop-elect Rev. Christian Carlassare at night on 24, April 2021.
Judge Sebur confirmed to the media that only one of the six accused confessed that he was the one who shot the bishop-elect in during the court hearing.
“Only one person confessed that he is the one who shot at the Bishop-elect in the reply of the accused to the statement. This is what has been done today and this is all the opening statement.
Judge Sebur explained that court hearing is a preliminary stage, where the accused suspects were asked whether guilty or not and the verdicts will be passed later.
The Presiding Judge affirmed that next sitting will be for hearing of the investigator on Monday February 7, at 10:30 AM.
Malith Jok Thiang Wundit, defence lawyer of the six suspects, demands justice to prevail and urges speedy verdicts to the prime suspects.
“We need justice to prevail; the case should be speeded up and the accused to be availed fair and free trial.”
Bishop-elect Christian Carlassare was shot in his house on both legs, on 26 of April, 2021, at 4 AM and later taken to Nairobi for treatment where he recovered and is now in Italy.
In an ACI Africa video recording from his hospital bed on April 27, the Italian-born member of the Comboni Missionaries (MCCJ) described the shooting as life-threatening but called for reconciliation and “justice with the same heart of God” among the people of God in Rumbek Diocese.
In June last year, police in South Sudan’s Lakes State arrested the second of “the potential suspects” directly involved in the shooting of the Bishop-elect.
Arrested on 11 June 2021, the suspect brought the number of those detained following the April 26 early morning shooting to six individuals.
Before his Episcopal appointment on 8 March 2021, Mons. Carlassare had ministered in South Sudan’s Malakal Diocese since his arrival in the country in 2005. His episcopal ordination which had been scheduled to take place on Pentecost Sunday, 23 May 2021 has since been postponed.
