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Matsanga cleared over ICC witness meddling

Matsanga was notified of the decision to terminate his case in an email sent to him from The Hague/FILE

Matsanga was notified of the decision to terminate his case in an email sent to him from The Hague/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 13 – The International Criminal Court has now terminated investigations against Ugandan peace negotiator David Matsanga over alleged witness tampering.

Matsanga was notified of the decision to terminate his case in an email sent to him from The Hague signed by one of the court’s prosecutors, Adesola Adeboyejo.

In the letter dated April 11 addressed to Matsanga’s lawyer Charles Taku, Adeboyejo said: “The investigations against your client have been terminated.”

The court had been investigating Matsanga for allegedly tampering with evidence provided by Witness 4, whose testimony was relied on to confirm the case facing Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Soon after the probe commenced, the ICC sent its investigators to Kenya to interview him but he was never prosecuted over the claims.

When contacted, Matsanga said: “I want to take this opportunity to thank the office of the prosecutor and especially Fatou Bensouda for the timely decision of terminating all investigations against me.”

The Ugandan had written to the court in March 20 seeking the termination of the charges after denying any role in the witness tampering accusations.

He had been accused of interfering with Maina Kabutu who has since been dropped as one of the ICC witnesses testifying against Kenyatta.

Lawyers representing Kenyatta have asked the judges of Trial Chamber V to terminate the charges or send the case back to the Pre-Trial Chamber after testimony of the key witness was dropped.

Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are among three Kenyans indicted by the ICC for alleged roles in fuelling the 2008 post-election violence in which some 1,300 people were killed and half a million others displaced.

The third accused person is former radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.

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The court recently dropped charges against Kenyatta’s co-accused, former Civil Service chief Francis Muthaura, after Witness 4 disowned his evidence used to confirm the case.

Earlier, charges against former Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey and former police commissioner Hussein Ali were dropped.

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