FBI helps in trial of SPLA soldiers accused of rape, murder of aid workers File photo: US Ambassador to South Sudan, Molly Phee during the launch of national peace centre – March 3, 2016. (Victor Lugala/USAID)
A US Federal Bureau of Investigation official is helping to prosecute South Sudanese soldiers accused of raping foreign aid workers and killing their local colleague in July last year, the US embassy in Juba said on Tuesday. The US embassy said in a statement seen by Radio Tamazuj that the FBI assistant legal attaché attended a court martial on Tuesday, adding he would consult local authorities to discuss the types of support the FBI can provide to all aspects of the investigation and prosecution. The attack on the Terrain Hotel occurred in Juba on July 11, 2016 as government troops won a battle against opposition forces allied to former First Vice President Riek Machar. “Following the attack by SPLA forces on the Terrain Hotel Compound on July 11, 2016, which included an assault on U.S. citizens, the U.S. government asked the government of the Republic of South Sudan to permit the FBI to assist in the investigation and the prosecution,” the US embassy in Juba said.“ The Minister of Justice subsequently extended an invitation to the FBI to provide forensic assistance,” adds the statement.The US government pointed out that such investigative and prosecutorial support is routine. At the court hearing on Tuesday, the trial of 12 accused SPLA soldiers who were present at today’s hearing was adjourned for two weeks after a newly assigned chief prosecutor had asked to further prepare. -- To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/southsudankob View this message at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/southsudankob/topic-id/message-id For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14oqCBFm2hcREGsDhebXqsmbWfMzCNf6RtyzTPd7DV-J6XQ%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
