Judge denies request to bring Puot Kang’s phone to court

2026-03-12 - 06:58

The Judge presiding over the trial of suspended First Vice President Riek Machar and seven co-accused members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army–In Opposition has rejected a defence request to bring a mobile phone belonging to the first accused, Puot Kang Chol, to court for charging and examination. The request was made during the 58th sitting of the Special Court on Wednesday, 18, where the defence sought to question a digital forensic expert about messages, audio recordings, and videos extracted from the device that had been presented as evidence. In his ruling, Stephen Simon declined the request but directed the forensic expert, Ratholgo Calvin Rafadi, to present the hash values of the extracted data on Monday, 16 March. Hash values are digital signatures used to verify that electronic evidence has not been altered. The court adjourned the session until Monday, 16, to allow the expert time to prepare and present the required digital verification data.