Trial of suspected killer of Syrian workers adjourned again
The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) General Court Martial on Friday adjourned for the second time the trail of Private Yak Garang Yak suspected to have killed four construction workers in Warrap State.
SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen Lul Ruai Koang, said court adjourned the trial till 10th February after the prosecution team requested two weeks to collect exhibits.
General Koang said the exhibits include a killer weapon, two phones, a car, and witnesses.
“They (prosecution team) say that they want the exhibits to be presented, the exhibits includes the gun which used to commit the crime, and the two phones that were taken from the deceased by the suspect,” he told journalists after the general court martial sitting in Giada military barracks in Juba.
On January 7, Private Yak Garang Yak attached to the elite Presidential guard opened fire on construction workers killing at least four people including three Syrian nationals and a 15-year-old boy from Warrap state.
The murdered Syrians worked for a United Kingdom firm, CKM International Company which was contracted to build the house of President Salva Kiir in Akon village of Gogrial West.
Private Yak is also accused of commandeering a vehicle after killing the victims, but the military recovered the vehicle.
“They requested for the session to be adjourned for two more weeks so that time is given for evidence to be collected and brought to Juba,” said Koang.
“All the witnesses are still in Warrap especially the relatives of the deceased boy who is a South Sudanese national, so that process requires time for witnesses to be airlifted from Warrap to Juba,” he added.
Koang said the public prosecutors stressed for the need to have time to present the authorization letter of the complainer before the court.
“Therefore, they (the prosecution team) want an authorization letter from the complainer to be presented before the court in the next session,” he said.
“That authorization from complainer should either be given to legal person presenting the prosecution team or to the company that employed the three employees that were murdered Akon village,” added Koang.
