ICC case against Lawyer Paul Gicheru to commence next week » Capital News

Nairobi, Kenya, Feb 9 – The trial in the case against Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru at the International Criminal Court in the Hague will commence on February 15, 2022 at 9:30 (The Hague local time).

The case will be tried before Trial Chamber III, composed of Judge Miatta Maria Samba.

Lawyer Gicheru is accused of offences against the administration of justice consisting in corruptly influencing witnesses regarding cases from the situation in Kenya.

The hearings for the opening statements of the Prosecution are scheduled on 15 February 2022.

According to the ICC advisory, the Defence has decided not to present any statements at this point of the proceedings.  Gicheru is expected to attend the opening of his trial.

“The first prosecution witness will also be heard on the same day. Due to the current situation linked to Covid-19, some of the hearings participants will take part via video-link,” the ICC said.

Gicheru surrendered on  November 2, 2020 to the authorities of The Netherlands pursuant to an ICC arrest warrant issued under seal on 10 March 2015 and unsealed on September 10 2015, according to the ICC.

“On 3 November 2020, Paul Gicheru was surrendered to the ICC custody after the completion of the necessary national proceedings. His first appearance before the Court took place on 6 November 2020. On 1 February 2021, he was released to Kenya with specific conditions restricting liberty,” the ICC said

On 15 July 2021, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber A confirmed the charges of offences against the administration of justice brought by the Prosecutor against Paul Gicheru and committed him to trial.

The Defence was ordered to file its Trial Brief by December 17, 2021.

The court in July found substantial grounds to believe that Gicheru committed, as a co-perpetrator, or under alternative modes of liability, offences against the administration of justice between April 2013 and the closure of the cases against Deputy President William Ruto and radio journalist Joshua Sang.

The Hague-based court’s prosecution said the offences were allegedly committed in the furtherance of a common plan implemented by a group of persons including Gicheru, with the ultimate goal of undermining the Ruto and Sang case.

Gicheru surrendered himself to the authorities in The Netherlands on November 2, 2020 and was surrendered to ICC custody on November 3, 2020.

Arrest warrants had been issued against him and another Kenyan – Philip Kipkoech Bett – in 2015, over their participation in the said offences consisting of corruptly influencing witnesses of the court in Kenya.