Prosecutors in the trial of suspended South Sudanese First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven co-accused on Monday asked the special court to question the defendants on the prosecution’s evidence before allowing them to present written defence statements.
Lead Prosecutor Ajo Ony’Ohisa made the submission during the 111th session of the trial at Freedom Hall in Juba.
Ohisa asked the three-judge panel to provide guidance on how the accused should be examined before any defence statements are read to the court.
He argued that the accused should first be questioned on the prosecution’s evidence before they are permitted to present their defence statements.
The prosecution’s submission followed a defence application during the 110th session seeking to uphold the defendants’ constitutional right to choose their lawyers.
The defence argued that none of the accused had requested a change of legal representation or expressed a loss of confidence in their lawyers.
The application came two days after the judges advised Machar to consider changing his legal team if he had lost confidence in his lawyers.
Ohisa opposed the defence application, which sought clarification and protection of the accused persons’ constitutional right to legal representation of their choice.
He told the court that the prosecution viewed the defence filing as an attempt to challenge the court’s authority.
Ohisa urged the judges to dismiss what he described as applications that could delay the proceedings.
Lead Defence Counsel Dr. Geri Raymond Legge confirmed that the defence had received the prosecution’s response and counter-application.
Legge requested additional time to prepare a written reply.
Judge Stephen Simon Binjigwa, a member of the three-judge panel, adjourned the proceedings until Wednesday, Aug. 26, to allow the defence to respond to the prosecution’s submission and file a written response to the counter-application.
Machar and seven others are on trial over violence in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025, when government forces suffered heavy casualties.
The defendants face charges including treason, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, destruction of public property and crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors allege that forces aligned with Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), together with the White Army, killed 257 South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldiers, including military commander General David Majur Dak, during an attack on a military garrison in Nasir.
They also allege that military equipment worth about $58 million was destroyed or seized during the fighting.
Machar and the other defendants have denied the charges.
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