By Matik Kueth
The Special Court trying the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and his co-accused on Friday rejected a prosecution application seeking to have the defendants submit written statements instead of oral testimony, ruling that the request was premature.
The prosecution had filed the application on 26th June 2026, arguing that written statements from the remaining accused persons would shorten the proceedings and make the trial more efficient.
Lead prosecutor Ajo Ony’Ohissa told the court that relying on written statements would save time while still preserving the defendants’ right to present their case.
However, defense lawyer Kur Lual Kur opposed the request, insisting that the matter is a criminal case and that the accused have a constitutional right to testify orally, regardless of the length of the proceedings.
Delivering the ruling during the court’s 97th session on Friday, Judge Stephen Simon Binjigwa dismissed the application, saying it had been brought before the accused had formally been charged.
He further urged both the prosecution and defense teams to conduct themselves with integrity throughout the proceedings.
Following the ruling, the court resumed hearing testimony from the third accused, Gatwech Lam, MP. Presiding Judge James Alala Deng questioned Lam about a press conference held by lawmakers from Nasir and Ulang counties on 19 February 2025.
Lam told the court that the press conference was a collective decision by the lawmakers and not an initiative he undertook individually.
Asked whether he had been arrested before or after the press conference, Lam replied that he was detained on 11 March 2025 at Kololo Junction, commonly known as Pope Francis Road.
He also alleged that security officers forcibly seized his mobile phones and obtained his passwords against his will.
Presiding Judge Alala adjourned the matter until Monday, 20 July, when the court is expected to hear testimony from the fourth accused, Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, the SPLA-IO Acting Chief of Staff.
Dr. Machar remains under house arrest, while the other defendants are being held in National Security Service detention facilities in Juba.