Geza Ulole
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While this happens
I'll nail suspects in 6 months: Ocampo
Mr. Moreno- Ocampo
By BERNARD NAMUNANE and OLIVER MATHENGE
Posted Saturday, May 8 2010 at 21:00
In Summary
ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo on Saturday said he intends to ask the Court to issue warrants of arrest or summons in "six to seven months".
"It will be very fast. At the end of the year, we will present the cases that I want tried to the judges," he said.
The prosecutor added that he has already envisioned presenting two cases before the ICC judges, each one involving two or three people.
A day after the prosecutor was given authority to investigate the Kenyan case in April, he indicated that the crimes were organised and financed by politicians and businessmen who were out to get or retain power.
He added that the perpetrators were from both the Party of National Unity (PNU) and the Orange party.
Once he has gathered sufficient evidence, the prosecutor is expected to go before the Pre-Trial Chamber to seek permission to try those he suspects committed the crimes.
Addressing an international news conference hours after arriving in Nairobi yesterday morning, Mr Moreno-Ocampo indicated that he would build a "very strong case" in which the judges would have no option but to issue arrest warrants.
The prosecutor started a five-day mission to Kenya which will see him launch investigations into the perpetrators of the violence that followed the disputed 2007 General Election. He, however, warned of the risk that potential witnesses face and asked the government to protect them.
The prosecutor invited leaders who suspect their names may appear in the many reports he used as the basis to seek permission to begin investigations in Kenya to step forward for interviews.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Higher Education minister William Ruto have gone to court to have their names expunged from a report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights which linked them to the violence.
The report, On the Brink of the Precipice: A Human Rights Account of Kenya's Post-2007 Election Violence names a cross-section of politicians and business people whom it accuses of organising and funding youth who killed, maimed and raped during the 2007-2008 mayhem.
The prosecutor said the suspects' identity will be kept secret, and they could even be interviewed outside the country.
"We are willing to meet persons who feel they were wrongly identified as being responsible for organising and financing the chaos. There are those who have told the press that they would like to meet us, and we are more than happy to meet them," he said.
"We can talk with them here or anywhere they want us to meet, including at The Hague."
The ICC prosecutor promised a quick, impartial and independent investigation - from the word go - that would culminate in a final list of suspects to be sent to The Hague to answer charges.
However, the names of President Kibaki and Mr Odinga - the men whose quest for power plunged the country into violence - are not likely to be on the list.
Asked what steps he would take if the evidence he collects points to the President and the PM who led PNU and ODM respectively, he hesitated, then said: "There is no indication of that (the President and Prime Minister are among the suspects). We will know at the end of the investigations."
Even though he has numerous reports on the violence and despite having presented 20 names to the ICC judges, Mr Moreno-Ocampo was categorical that he has no specific suspects yet.
And he said his team will begin investigations from scratch, going to the slums of Nairobi and hot spots in Naivasha and Kiambaa in Eldoret where many of the killings took place.
The Pre-Trial Chamber granted him permission to begin investigations on March 31, 2010 through a majority vote.
"After the authorisation of the investigation by the Court, it is now obvious that crimes happened here. There were rapes, there were killings, and houses were burnt," he said.
The prosecutor arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 6 a.m. and left through the cargo exit to start on a mission that has sparked uneasiness in sections of the grand coalition government.
To allay the fears of some ministers, MPs, business people and key civil servants, he said his task was to nail down those who planned, financed and executed the violence.
"It is not about political parties or political responsibility. It is about criminal responsibility of those responsible for the crimes. If youths raped and killed, somebody must have paid them. So who paid?" he asked.
The ICC, he said, was out to assist Kenya to avoid a repeat of the December 2007 election violence by punishing those who fomented it. With the reforms that were being implemented, he said it would ensure Kenya remained stable.
"This is to ensure that the 2012 elections are peaceful. And we are glad that the leadership is already working to put in place institutional reforms," he said.
By investigating the masterminds of the election violence and trying them, he said The Hague was sending a warning to all leaders in the region to avoid killings related to the search for power.
"I want to send a signal that if you commit a crime against humanity, you will go to The Hague," he said.
He ruled out the possibility of his investigations upsetting the on-going constitutional review process and in particular the referendum set for August 6. "Politicians are working on reforms, and we are conducting investigations," he said.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo said he was worried about the cases of intimidation and threats targeting potential witnesses and urged the government to step in and guarantee their safety.
He said he had discussed the thorny issue with President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga when he visited last November.
He said the six-month duration of his investigations was among the shortest for the Court and added that he would not be interviewing hundreds of witnesses but a few whose testimonies would reflect what really happened.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo's aides have kept his programme secret although a statement from his office before the arrival indicated that he intends to visit some of the areas affected by the violence.
He was also expected to meet religious leaders, businessmen and the media, especially community radio stations.
The prosecutor, who has shortened his visit from seven days to five, will use a town hall type meeting to explain to Kenyans the investigations that he will launch. He is expected to hold such meetings in Mathare and Kibera slums which were the areas worst hit by the violence in Nairobi.
He will return to Kenya later in the year and tour other areas outside Nairobi affected by the violence.
The public will be allowed to ask questions during the events, whose details will be released after he meets the top government leadership, including President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
"The prosecutor will also participate in a town hall event focused on the theme of justice and reconciliation. He will answer questions and explain the process," the statement read.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/914766/-/view/printVersion/-/wufhn7z/-/index.html
this has happened
Kenya's top sleuth is dead
By EMMANUEL ONYANGO
Posted Sunday, May 9 2010 at 11:26
The director of Kenya's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Gatiba Karanja is dead.
The country's top sleuth died at Thika Nursing home after a short illness.
Initial reports indicate that Mr. Karanja developed unknown health complications in his house on Sunday morning and was rushed to the hospital by family members for medical attention.
MORE FOLLOWS
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kenyas%20top%20sleuth%20dies/-/1056/914916/-/view/printVersion/-/551qi4z/-/index.html
any coincedence?
I'll nail suspects in 6 months: Ocampo
Mr. Moreno- Ocampo
By BERNARD NAMUNANE and OLIVER MATHENGE
Posted Saturday, May 8 2010 at 21:00
In Summary
- Ocampo: I will build such a strong case the judges will have to issue arrest warrants
- The ICC prosecutor discloses that the end of this year might be decision time for politicians linked to the post-election violence.
- He asks the government to offer protection to witnesses who have been threatened.
- Those who have been mentioned in reports over the violence should contact his team and plead their cases
ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo on Saturday said he intends to ask the Court to issue warrants of arrest or summons in "six to seven months".
"It will be very fast. At the end of the year, we will present the cases that I want tried to the judges," he said.
The prosecutor added that he has already envisioned presenting two cases before the ICC judges, each one involving two or three people.
A day after the prosecutor was given authority to investigate the Kenyan case in April, he indicated that the crimes were organised and financed by politicians and businessmen who were out to get or retain power.
He added that the perpetrators were from both the Party of National Unity (PNU) and the Orange party.
Once he has gathered sufficient evidence, the prosecutor is expected to go before the Pre-Trial Chamber to seek permission to try those he suspects committed the crimes.
Addressing an international news conference hours after arriving in Nairobi yesterday morning, Mr Moreno-Ocampo indicated that he would build a "very strong case" in which the judges would have no option but to issue arrest warrants.
The prosecutor started a five-day mission to Kenya which will see him launch investigations into the perpetrators of the violence that followed the disputed 2007 General Election. He, however, warned of the risk that potential witnesses face and asked the government to protect them.
The prosecutor invited leaders who suspect their names may appear in the many reports he used as the basis to seek permission to begin investigations in Kenya to step forward for interviews.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Higher Education minister William Ruto have gone to court to have their names expunged from a report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights which linked them to the violence.
The report, On the Brink of the Precipice: A Human Rights Account of Kenya's Post-2007 Election Violence names a cross-section of politicians and business people whom it accuses of organising and funding youth who killed, maimed and raped during the 2007-2008 mayhem.
The prosecutor said the suspects' identity will be kept secret, and they could even be interviewed outside the country.
"We are willing to meet persons who feel they were wrongly identified as being responsible for organising and financing the chaos. There are those who have told the press that they would like to meet us, and we are more than happy to meet them," he said.
"We can talk with them here or anywhere they want us to meet, including at The Hague."
The ICC prosecutor promised a quick, impartial and independent investigation - from the word go - that would culminate in a final list of suspects to be sent to The Hague to answer charges.
However, the names of President Kibaki and Mr Odinga - the men whose quest for power plunged the country into violence - are not likely to be on the list.
Asked what steps he would take if the evidence he collects points to the President and the PM who led PNU and ODM respectively, he hesitated, then said: "There is no indication of that (the President and Prime Minister are among the suspects). We will know at the end of the investigations."
Even though he has numerous reports on the violence and despite having presented 20 names to the ICC judges, Mr Moreno-Ocampo was categorical that he has no specific suspects yet.
And he said his team will begin investigations from scratch, going to the slums of Nairobi and hot spots in Naivasha and Kiambaa in Eldoret where many of the killings took place.
The Pre-Trial Chamber granted him permission to begin investigations on March 31, 2010 through a majority vote.
"After the authorisation of the investigation by the Court, it is now obvious that crimes happened here. There were rapes, there were killings, and houses were burnt," he said.
The prosecutor arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 6 a.m. and left through the cargo exit to start on a mission that has sparked uneasiness in sections of the grand coalition government.
To allay the fears of some ministers, MPs, business people and key civil servants, he said his task was to nail down those who planned, financed and executed the violence.
"It is not about political parties or political responsibility. It is about criminal responsibility of those responsible for the crimes. If youths raped and killed, somebody must have paid them. So who paid?" he asked.
The ICC, he said, was out to assist Kenya to avoid a repeat of the December 2007 election violence by punishing those who fomented it. With the reforms that were being implemented, he said it would ensure Kenya remained stable.
"This is to ensure that the 2012 elections are peaceful. And we are glad that the leadership is already working to put in place institutional reforms," he said.
By investigating the masterminds of the election violence and trying them, he said The Hague was sending a warning to all leaders in the region to avoid killings related to the search for power.
"I want to send a signal that if you commit a crime against humanity, you will go to The Hague," he said.
He ruled out the possibility of his investigations upsetting the on-going constitutional review process and in particular the referendum set for August 6. "Politicians are working on reforms, and we are conducting investigations," he said.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo said he was worried about the cases of intimidation and threats targeting potential witnesses and urged the government to step in and guarantee their safety.
He said he had discussed the thorny issue with President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga when he visited last November.
He said the six-month duration of his investigations was among the shortest for the Court and added that he would not be interviewing hundreds of witnesses but a few whose testimonies would reflect what really happened.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo's aides have kept his programme secret although a statement from his office before the arrival indicated that he intends to visit some of the areas affected by the violence.
He was also expected to meet religious leaders, businessmen and the media, especially community radio stations.
The prosecutor, who has shortened his visit from seven days to five, will use a town hall type meeting to explain to Kenyans the investigations that he will launch. He is expected to hold such meetings in Mathare and Kibera slums which were the areas worst hit by the violence in Nairobi.
He will return to Kenya later in the year and tour other areas outside Nairobi affected by the violence.
The public will be allowed to ask questions during the events, whose details will be released after he meets the top government leadership, including President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
"The prosecutor will also participate in a town hall event focused on the theme of justice and reconciliation. He will answer questions and explain the process," the statement read.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/914766/-/view/printVersion/-/wufhn7z/-/index.html
this has happened
Kenya's top sleuth is dead
By EMMANUEL ONYANGO
Posted Sunday, May 9 2010 at 11:26
The director of Kenya's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Gatiba Karanja is dead.
The country's top sleuth died at Thika Nursing home after a short illness.
Initial reports indicate that Mr. Karanja developed unknown health complications in his house on Sunday morning and was rushed to the hospital by family members for medical attention.
MORE FOLLOWS
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kenyas%20top%20sleuth%20dies/-/1056/914916/-/view/printVersion/-/551qi4z/-/index.html
any coincedence?
