NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 19 – Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti has announced that the government will gazette rules and procedures of recording ICC statements from government officials this Friday.
Prof Saitoti who is the chairman of the Cabinet Committee on International Criminal Court (ICC) matters told Parliament that the committee was concluding the procedures of recording the statements from officials who served at the time of the 2008 post-election violence.
"I am in the process of finalising drawing of rules to provide for the envisaged (scenario). At this particular juncture I can report that I do expect that the necessary gazettement will have been finalised to appear this coming Friday, 22nd October," he said.
He further assured Parliament that the government would fully cooperate with the ICC and give it the evidence it required, adding that the new Constitution had not changed its position to cooperate with the ICC to investigate key suspects of the 2008 post-poll chaos.
He however maintained that the government would not release information that could affect national security and information it thinks is not relevant to the court.
"The State has the right to ensure its own national security is not endangered. We have to ensure those other issues which are totally not relevant to the ICC investigations… we do not give them. They could actually give us more problems," he said.
Prof Saitoti said that the court had also acknowledged Kenya\’s cooperation in writing and displayed letters between the ICC Prosecutor\’s office and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The Minister also said the government would not shield anyone from ICC arrests when warrants are issued.
He said the government would heed the pledge of President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga that Kenya will fully cooperate with the court.
Prof Saitoti was delivering a Ministerial statement following concerns by Garsen MP Danson Mungatana who wanted the government to assure of its cooperation with the ICC.
Mr Mungatana wanted the government to also disclose information required by the court to carry out its investigations.
According to Prof Saitoti, the Cabinet Committee on ICC matters was working to ensure no loopholes would hinder the court from carrying out its investigations.
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