A fact-finding committee on the Sherikat incident that led to the killing of six people in June says it found no evidence of a planned attack.
The June 3 incident sparked by an alleged land dispute resulted in the killing of an SSPDF officer – Lual Akook also known as Marine who was related to President Salva Kiir.
Six other civilians were also killed in the incident.
Following the incident, hundreds of people took to the streets in protest of the killings.
According to the committee, the incident was the consequence of a dispute over a land that was contested by two people – a military officer and a civilian.
Among other findings, the committee established that there was no planned attack that resulted in the killing of Marine.
The Minister in the Office of Presidential, Nhial Deng, who is also a member of the committee, says the committee found no evidence of a group pre-planned conspiracy to attack Lt.-Col. Lual Akook.
“…nor did it find any indication that Lual Akook had been hit was in any way premeditated. The committee that went to make the following recommendations which have been adopted by the leadership,” Nhial told the press in Juba on Thursday.
After the incident, several people were arrested.
According to the committee, those suspects should stand trial in an open civilian court rather than a military one.
“The best way to make everybody understand that justice is being rendered, being seen to be done, is to have a trial before a civilian court in an open sitting,” said Ruben Madol, justice minister and chairperson of the seven-member investigative committee.
“That’s what we mean here, because these are issues affecting and impacting on the people.”