Githu Muigai dismisses claims that ICC witnesses were harassed

Attorney-General Githu Muigai

The government has denied claims that witnesses in the cases facing four Kenyans at the International Criminal Court are being intimidated.

Attorney-General Githu Muigai also denied reports made by ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda that the government had refused to furnish her office with documents relating to the cases.

The suspects are Jubilee coalition presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta, his running mate William Ruto, former Civil Service head Francis Muthaura and radio presenter Joshua Sang.

In a statement, Prof Muigai maintained that the government had fully cooperated with the ICC and furnished it with all the documents relating to the cases. The government had also facilitated the relocation of witnesses to safe places outside the country whenever requested by the ICC prosecutor, he added.

“The Kenyan Government is not party to the proceedings currently taking place at the ICC and it has no knowledge of who the witnesses are and it has no desire to deal with the witnesses whatsoever. All the Kenyan Government has done as regards witnesses is to facilitate cooperation between the ICC Victims and Witnesses Unit and the Kenyan Witness Protection Agency,” said Prof Muigai.

Intimidation

In an interview with a local television station at the weekend, Ms Bensouda accused the government of refusing to furnish her office with documents relating to the cases despite several requests.

She also claimed ICC witnesses were facing harassment, intimidation and even outright bribery to compromise the cases.

She spoke in the wake of the status conference during which lawyers for the four Kenyans accused Ms Bensouda’s office of introducing new evidence and witnesses at the eleventh hour. -Daily Nation