Witness in Gicheru’s case implicates Ruto in bribery claims
The second prosecution witness in the trial of lawyer Paul Gicheru at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has directly implicated Deputy President William Ruto in the witness tampering scheme.
The witness, who is identified as P0341 took to the stand yesterday and recounted how he was bribed not to testify in Ruto’s case.
The witness told the court that Gicheru gave him Sh500,000 during their first meeting and told him to sign a contract indicating his withdrawal as a witness in the ICC.
The witness said that while he had demanded Sh20 million, a farm, a plot of land, a car and jobs for his children, however, Gicheru’s team was willing to give him Sh500,000.
The witness claims that his last demand was for Sh5 million but Gicheru reportedly told him that Ruto had only approved Sh2 million and the rest of his demands.
“Your honour before the money, we had signed a contract which had been prepared somewhere else by a different advocate and I was told to sign the agreement that I had withdrawn myself as a witness, it was prepared separately, I was only asked to sign the contract or the agreement..,” he told the court.
The witness claimed during the first meeting with Gicheru, another person referred to as person number 30 had given him Sh10,000 for lunch and transport. The witness told the court that he had requested for Sh5 million but Gicheru started the negotiations with Sh500,000. “I started with a higher amount and they started with Sh500,000, so it was about negotiations,” he told the court.
Ruto’s case was vacated in 2016 over insufficient evidence, however, the ICC declined to acquit him.
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 is said to have improperly engaged, were in the case against 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.
