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AG directs Iteere to serve summonses on ICC Six

NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 15 – Attorney General Amos Wako has now directed Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere to serve the Ocampo Six with summonses sent from the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

Sources familiar with goings on at the AG\’s chambers told Capital News that Mr Wako had processed and forwarded the summonses to Mr Iteere who is now required to serve the six suspects.

"The Commissioner is then expected to prepare certificates of service and send them back to Mr Wako," one source said.

A senior police officer at Police headquarters told Capital News that the summonses were sent to the commissioner\’s office on Tuesday afternoon.

"The Commissioner of Police has received the summonses from the AG and will be serving the suspects as soon as possible," an official who did not wish to be named at police headquarters said.

Those to be served with the summonses include Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, the Head of the Civil Service Francis Muthaura, and former Police commissioner Hussein Ali.

Others are suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto, Henry Kosgey who served as Industrialization Minister and Radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.

It was understood the AG\’s office received the summonses from The Hague on Monday, barely a week after the pre-trial chamber judges issued the order.

On Monday, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo held a teleconference with Kenyan journalists and raised concerns over the continued stay in office by Ambassador Muthaura whom he fears may interfere with the case.

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Mr Ocampo is concerned that Mr Muthaura\’s continued stay in office where he oversees national security matters was a serious threat to The Hague case.  "We want to be sure that should Mr Muthaura remain in power, he has no power on the police service," Mr Ocampo said.

The ICC Prosecutor said he would write to the Kenyan government this week seeking assurance that Mr Muthaura who chairs the National Security Advisory Committee did not have any influence over the law enforcement agencies.

The Prosecutor said he was apprehensive that Mr Muthaura could influence his work when he embarks on taking testimonies and seeking witness protection in the ongoing investigation surrounding the 2008 post election violence.

As the head of the National Security Advisory Committee, Mr Muthaura\’s roles include monitoring and advising the Cabinet Security Committee and the President, constantly reviewing threats to security, designing and preparing a national security plan and contingency strategy.

As the head of the civil service, he is also tasked with giving guidance and directions to provincial and district security and intelligence committees in dealing with security matters.

Mr Ocampo said:  "We want to be sure the police will not be protecting his interests."

"Before we disclose to the Kenyan police about witnesses in Kenyan, we should be sure the Mr Muthaura is not on top of the police," he added.

Mr Muthaura was named by the Prosecutor in his list of six suspects on the basis that he ordered the police to protect Mungiki militias in retaliatory attacks against supporters of the Orange Democratic Movement.

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