Lawyer Gicheru pleads innocent as ICC trial begin
Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru has denied charges of corruptly influencing witnesses regarding a case involving Deputy President William Ruto by pleading not guilty to the charges.
The trial began before Judge Miatta Maria Samba of Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) earlier today.
Gicheru who was part of the core legal team to Ruto at the Hague based court over crime against humanity charges is accused of offences against the administration of justice in a case where his client, Ruto, was linked to crimes against humanity.
Today, the first prosecution witness in the trial of Gicheru took to the stand where he testified how he was approached several times with bribery offers so as to withdraw his cooperation from the court.
The witness who had initially testified in Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang case in the Hague based court explained how he was approached and also recorded conversations which the prosecution described as key evidence in Gicheru’s witness tampering case.
The witness whose face and voice had to be distorted, was not allowed to mention the people and places of the meeting, as part of witness protection.
“I was contacted by telephone and then we met in person with person no (2)I reported to the authorities of this court, who asked me to record every conversation that I had with this person,” the witness one said during a cross examination by the prosecutor.
The witness also explained how he alongside other witnesses met with some people at various locations so as to plan on how to recant their testimonies.
“We met in person at location number (6). If I agreed on the offer that was given as a bribe, I would recant all the testimonies that I have before this court and not to appear before this court at any occasion that I was needed to appear,” he said.
Gicheru who is facing seven counts of witness meddling earlier on denied all charges.
The prosecution, during its opening remarks, explained how Gicheru tried to bribe and intimidate prosecution witnesses, so as to withdraw their assistance from the court.
Ruto case was vacated in 2016 over insufficient evidence. The ICC, however, declined to acquit him.
The trial started with the reading of the charges against Gicheru.
The Chamber was satisfied that the accused understood the nature of the charges.
Gicheru surrendered to the authorities of The Netherlands in November 2020 pursuant to an ICC arrest warrant issued under seal on March 10, 2015.
His first appearance before the Court took place on November 6, 2020.
On February 1, 2021, he was released to Kenya with specific conditions restricting his liberty.
On July 15, 2021, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber A confirmed the charges of offences against the administration of justice brought by the Prosecutor against Gicheru and committed him to trial.
The witnesses Gicheru are said to have improperly engaged were in the case against Deputy President William Ruto, journalist Joshua Arap Sang which terminated in April 2016, and Henry Kosgey in whose respect the court declined to confirm charges in January 2012.
The case was terminated about a year after a similar suit against President Uhuru Kenyatta was discontinued in March 2015.
Other Kenyans who faced charges of crimes against humanity at the ICC alongside Kenyatta, Ruto, Sang and Kosgei were Francis Muthaura and former Police Commissioner Mohammed Ali.
