A Juba court on Thursday ordered additional witnesses to testify and directed that the alleged victim be brought before the court, if possible, in the trial of a police officer accused of assaulting a man in an incident that sparked public outrage after footage circulated on social media.
The Joint Special Emergency Court for Organised Forces is hearing the case against Captain Richard Ruai Kuol, a police officer accused of beating a man with a stick on a street in Juba.
The court’s order followed testimony from three prosecution witnesses and a statement from the accused during Thursday’s hearing.
Defence lawyer Dut Paulino told reporters after the session that witnesses had described events leading up to the alleged assault.
“Today’s session was crucial because the witnesses narrated what happened on the day of the incident,” Paulino said.
According to the defence lawyer, testimony presented in court indicated that an altercation occurred between the officer and the alleged victim before the assault. He said some witnesses testified that the alleged victim had used insulting language toward the officer.
The prosecution had not publicly responded to the defence’s account of the testimony.
Paulino said the court also heard evidence relating to police administrative procedures and the authorities’ handling of the incident after it occurred.
He said the court determined that additional individuals who witnessed the incident should be called to testify.
“The court says those witnesses are supposed to appear before the court in the next session, the people who were present at the incident,” Paulino said.
He added that the court had received information indicating that the alleged victim was available and ordered that he be brought before the court if possible.
The next hearing is scheduled for June 23 and is expected to hear testimony from the additional witnesses and the alleged victim.
The case stems from an incident in Juba in which video footage showed the officer allegedly striking a man with a stick, prompting widespread condemnation and calls for accountability.
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