NAIROBI, Kenya, April 7 – Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who arrived at The Hague on Thursday has expressed confidence that the truth about the post election violence will emerge.
Mr Kenyatta jetted out of the country on Wednesday night in time for his appointment with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday afternoon along with Civil Service chief Francis Muthaura and former police commissioner Hussein Ali.
“Truth will in itself come out and ultimately we believe in justice. We believe that the court is able to dispense this case. We are signatories to the Rome Statute and justice indeed will prevail,” the Deputy Premier told reporters at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport before his departure.
He arrived in the Netherlands on Thursday, accompanied by his wife and other relatives.
Cabinet ministers Yusuf Hajji, Sam Ongeri, Naomi Shaban, and Mwangi Kiunjuri were among a host of MPs who were at the airport to see off the Deputy PM to The Hague.
The Finance Minister is accused of sponsoring Mungiki adherents to launch retaliatory attacks in the Rift Valley, something ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said was the focal point of the violence.
On Thursday, William Ruto, Henry Kosgey and Joshua arap Sang appeared before the pre trial chamber judges who warned that they risked being detained at The Hague if they continued with their public spat that could retrigger the violence of 2008.
Presiding Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova told Messrs Ruto, Kosgey and Sang that the court would not hesitate to order their arrests if they breached the conditions.
“It has come to the knowledge of the Chamber by way of following some articles in the Kenyan newspapers that there are some movements towards retriggering the violence in the country by way of using some dangerous speeches,” judge Trendafilova said.
The judge said such action could be perceived as inducement which may constitute a breach of one of the conditions set out in the summonses to appear namely not to continue committing the crimes within the jurisdiction of the court.
“Accordingly, this might prompt the Chamber to replace the summonses to appear with warrants of arrest,” the judge warned.
Thursday’s session of the court was held to inform the suspects the charges filed against them by Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
The three suspects were first required to confirm their identities one by one, to satisfy the court that they were indeed the suspects listed in the charge sheet prepared by the ICC Prosecutor.
Immediately after the confirmation of the suspects’ identities, charges were read to them before the judge asked them to state and confirm if they understood them.
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