The National Police Service Spokesperson, Bruno Shioso, has slammed Citizen TV for reporting that seven more bodies had been retrieved from the River Yala with the bodies lying at Yala sub-county hospital mortuary.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 21, Shioso stated that the report was inaccurate and misleading the public.
“Attention of the NPS is drawn to a recent media reporting by Citizen TV on alleged “retrieval” of seven (7) bodies from River Yala, with the bodies lying at Yala sub-county hospital mortuary. This reporting is inaccurate and grossly misleading to the public.”
“Whereas it is true that seven (7) dead bodies are at the local Yala sub-county mortuary, not all are associated to a “retrieval” from the Yala River as alleged. Each body has a specific and different history and circumstances from the other,” read part of the statement.
Further, the NPS provided a detailed breakdown of the seven bodies lying at the Yala sub-county hospital mortuary.
One case involved the sudden death of an unknown person who collapsed and died at Wagai Market, a mob injustice from the Malanga area, two bodies retrieved from the River Yala, one case of a hit-and-run traffic accident, and the final case involved a drowning incident witnessed by the public and a suicide note left behind.
Shioso went on to say that all law enforcement officers were looking into each case to determine the identities of the deceased and the probable cause of their deaths.
“In all these cases, local and neighboring police are fully seized, are coordinating and investigating with a view of establishing the identity of deceased persons including probable causes of their respective deaths. Inquest files have been opened as per the law,” read part of the statement.
On Monday, September 19, Citizen TV reported that seven more bodies had been retrieved from River Yala in a period of two months.
The report claimed that the deceased gave a tally of 39 bodies recovered from the river this year.
