Major-General Stephen Buay speaks to soldiers in an unidentified location in South Sudan | File photo

President Salva Kiir has agreed to the defense lawyers’ request to reconstitute the judicial panel in the case of Major-General Stephen Buay.

In January, the defense team of Buay rejected the judicial panel saying the court was wrongly constituted by the Chief of Defense Forces.

Defense lawyer Philip Anyang Ngong argued that the judicial panel was comprised of officers who are of the same rank with the accused – a move he said is against the SPLA act, 2009.

“The concerns were forwarded to his excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit, in his capacity as the commander in chief of then SPLA and now SSPDF,” said Maj.-General Lul Ruai, army spokesperson.

General Buay was captured by Special Forces commanded by Gen. Mathew Puljang in Mayom, in May last year.

He was the commander of 5th Infantry Division based in Wau. Gen. Buay is accused of rebelling against the government.

According to the army, he is charged with disobedience of standing orders, disobedience of lawful orders, treason and offences related to insecurity.

After the defense team requested the judicial panel to be reconstituted – President Salva Kiir, the commander in chief of the armed forces – agreed to change the judges.

In a decree, the C-in-C appointed a six-team judicial panel headed up by Maj.-Gen. Thiik Achiek Hol, the president of general court-martial.

The other members are Maj.-Gen. Atem Duot Atem; Maj.-Gen. Peter Gatwech Gai; Maj.-Gen. Akuei Ajou Akuei; Maj.-Gen. Isaiah Paul Lotole; and Brig.-Gen. Abubakar Mohamed Romadan.

The men were sworn-in on Thursday.  The hearing will take place on Tuesday next week.