Puot Kang Chol on Wednesday resumed his testimony before the court, continuing his response to allegations presented by the prosecution concerning alleged communications, funding claims, and digital evidence linked to the Nasir incident.
During the 79th session of the proceedings held at Freedom Hall in Juba, Puot Kang rejected several claims presented by the prosecution and the expert witness, including accusations that he funded armed youth, received intelligence reports related to the Nasir garrison attacks, and communicated with SPLA (IO) commanders regarding the purchase of arms and ammunition.
Addressing the court, Puot Kang challenged the authenticity and interpretation of videos, WhatsApp messages, and contact records presented as evidence.
“Your Lordships, I only saw that video for the first time when it was presented before this honorable court, and there was no mention of my name in Ter Chuol Gatkuoth’s statement,” he told the court while responding to allegations linked to a fundraising video allegedly connected to the Nuer community.
He questioned how the expert witness concluded that the message was intended specifically for him.
“How did the Expert Witness conclude that the message was meant only for me? Is there any reason for the Expert Witness to conclude that the Nuer Community is Puot Kang Chol, and Puot Kang Chol is the Nuer Community?” he said.
Puot Kang also denied knowledge of an alleged conversation with Dukan Jundi, which prosecutors claimed was linked to financial support for armed youth in Nasir.
“First of all, Dukan Jundi is not a member of the armed youth. Second, Dukan Jundi was here in Juba at the time of the claimed message,” he stated.
He further argued that investigators failed to provide evidence showing how any alleged funds were sent, used, or connected to the violence in Nasir.
“The Expert Witness responded that there was no document,” he said, referring to earlier cross-examination sessions in which the defense questioned whether proof existed that money had been transferred.
Puot Kang also dismissed several videos presented in court, saying he had never seen them before the proceedings and did not know how they allegedly appeared on his phone.
“For the videos of the armed youth, I saw them here in this honorable court for the first time,” he said. “I do not even know the location where they were, where they were going, and how the videos got onto my phone.”
On allegations that he received intelligence reports related to the Nasir clashes, including lists of casualties and battle timing, Puot Kang said he never requested such information.
“I did not request anyone to send me a battle plan, including timing,” he told the court, adding that as a public figure and community leader from Nasir, many people had access to his contact information.
He also strongly disputed the authenticity of alleged WhatsApp conversations between himself and Mam Pal Dhuor, describing the evidence as fabricated and inconsistent.
“These are fabrications by the Expert Witness,” Puot Kang said while pointing to discrepancies in dates, timings, paragraph sequences, and message records presented in separate reports.
According to his testimony, the conversations presented in his report did not match those appearing in Mam Pal Dhuor’s report, despite the expert witness previously claiming that the extracted phone data was identical.
“All these messages, Your Lordships, are fabricated, generated by the prosecution and their Expert Witness,” he argued.
Puot Kang further questioned the existence of several contacts allegedly found in his phonebook, including names such as James Chuol Tharjiath, Thiey Dolony Gany, Chuol Gatnor, and Gok Lual.
“I do not have such contacts in my phonebook unless they were added by the prosecution or their Expert Witness,” he said.
Responding to allegations that he communicated with SPLA (IO) commanders over arms and ammunition purchases, Puot Kang denied engaging in any such discussions.
“I neither read his message nor did I respond to it,” he said regarding an alleged WhatsApp communication involving Brig. Gen. Timothy Bile Nyang and Brig. Gen. Okdor Chuol Diet.
The court adjourned the proceedings until Friday, May 22, 2026, when Puot Kang Chol is expected to continue his testimony.
