A fugitive lawyer has been arrested in the Netherlands, five years after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him over alleged witnesses tampering. – By Gerald Gekara
“Paul Gicheru is suspected of offenses against the administration of justice consisting in corruptly influencing witnesses of the Court.” The ICC said in a statement.
“The Court, submitted a cooperation request to the Dutch authorities for the arrest and surrender of Mr Gicheru to the Court upon completion of the necessary national arrest proceedings.”
The secret arrest warrant against Paul Gicheru and his suspected accomplice Philip Kipkoech Bett is said to have been issued on March 10, 2015.
According to the ICC, the warrants were kept hidden to prevent the fugitive lawyers from endangering the investigation and prevent the further exercise of corrupt influence on the witnesses.
Paul Gicheru will now face charges of obstructing the course of justice at the ICC.
The lawyer is said to have tampered with witnesses set to testify in the ICC case that saw Deputy President William Ruto, and President Uhuru Kenyatta present themselves to the Hague-based court.
The ICC was investigating acts of violence that erupted on December 31, 2007, after the announcement of Mwai Kibaki as the presidential poll winner in a race he closely contested with ODM leader Raila Odinga.
ICC in its report said over 1,000 people were killed, 900 acts of rape and sexual violence documented, and approximately 350,000 people were displaced.
Fatou Bensouda, the ICC Prosecutor presented a case that there existed, a criminal scheme was hatched to corruptly influence witnesses of the Prosecutor through bribery. In return, the witnesses withdrew as prosecution witnesses and disown their statements to the court.
The case was marred by bizarre allegations of witness tampering and intimidation.
For instance, Meshack Yebei, described by Ruto’s lawyer as a “critical” witness for the politician’s defense case, was found dead, and badly mutilated Nandi district.
Yebei was a critical witness to the defense and had been referred to the ICC witness protection unit.
