NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 16 – He may have shook hands with the International Criminal Court Prosecutor Louis Moreno-Ocampo and even interviewed him, but he had no idea that he would be in the list of six suspected masterminds of the 2008 post-election violence in Kenya.
Broadcaster Joshua arap Sang was on Wednesday named as one of the six prime suspects wanted by the ICC for their involvement in the attacks.
"When I met Ocampo, shook hands and even took a photo with him, I didn’t know that he was greeting his (soon to be) client at The Hague," arap Sang says jokingly.
"We even had a meeting with him where he pleaded with journalists to try and calm Kenyans that when the list is released it will not be the end. There is a legal process that will be followed," arap Sang said.
Arap Sang as he is popularly known to his fans at KASS FM has now asked for police protection until his case at the ICC was heard and determined.
"Those others who have been mentioned are ministers and high profile people in the government but arap Sang is just a humble person who walks on foot. I may find Kenyans who want revenge against me and that is why I need protection," he said terming himself a "small fish" vulnerable to harassment.
The broadcaster is accused by the ICC Prosecutor of having helped coordinate the post election attacks using coded language disseminated through radio broadcasts and is considered as one of the principal planners and organisers of crimes against PNU (Party of National Unity) supporters.
But in his defence, arap Sang said that he had never organised, financed or participated in any rally that discussed ways of orchestrating violence against a section of Kenyans.
"I believe the judges at ICC will do a good job, they will listen to my case and I am sure I will come out clean because I am peace loving," he said.
He questioned the objectivity of Mr Ocampo’s investigations and maintained he was an innocent man who has always embraced Christianity.
He said it was suspicious that Mr Ocampo’s list had equal number of persons from both sides of the political divide which according to him was an indicator of "a weird criterion of creating grand coalition in criminal responsibility."
"One is left wondering how such scenarios can possibly happen. Where on earth can two competing political divides produce equal number of criminal suspects?" he asked.
"Just because there exists a coalition government of two parties sharing power on equal basis cannot mean that any wrong doing by individuals must be on equal basis," he said.
He also wondered why he was listed whereas the ICC Prosecutor had earlier indicated that he was following up prominent politicians and businessmen.
"I am not a politician and neither am I a business person so I don’t know how this happened," he said.
"I have never at any one time been convicted in a Kenyan court, I have never been to any police station for any offence and I am a peace loving Kenyan who follows the law," he added.
He ended by saying that he would not lose his sleep over the issue because he was sure of his innocence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcoiazFse9Q
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