Ruto says he will continue attending his trial until the UN Security Council rules on a resolution passed by the African Union/DPPS
Ruto however told journalists at The Hague that both he and President Uhuru Kenyatta should be excused from the hearings because the ICC Prosecution had failed in investigating the atrocities committed in the 2007-8 post-election violence.
Ruto added that the terror threats against Kenya and the security risks that the country continues facing as a result of its presence in Somalia were also reason enough to defer the trials.
“There are threats of terrorism and activities of Al Qaeda and Al Shabaab especially in the context of the participation of Kenyan troops in Somalia,” argued Ruto.
He also expressed concern over the manner in which the ICC Prosecution had conducted its case so far, saying it had become abundantly clear it had failed in its tasks to investigate the events that followed the bungled 2007 General Election.
Kenyatta, Ruto and former radio personality Joshua arap Sang are accused by the ICC Prosecutor of being most responsible for the atrocities that followed.
But the Deputy President maintained that the OTP had bribed and manipulated witnesses to provide false testimony before the court.
“It is absolutely clear to us that the methodology of the prosecution to manipulate, buy and bribe witnesses in their bid to incriminate us in these allegations is appalling,” he said.
African States made a decision on Saturday urging Kenyatta and Ruto to stay away from the Dutch-based court because it has become a political tool.
During the extraordinary summit of the AU, African nations also noted the need to postpone Kenyatta’s trial in addition to suspending Ruto’s case until the United Nations Security Council considers a request to defer their cases.
It is still not clear whether or not President Kenyatta will travel to The Hague for his November 12 trial.
“The AU decides that President Uhuru Kenyatta will not appear before the ICC until such time as the concerns raised by the AU and its Member States have been adequately addressed by the UN Security Council and the ICC,” said a communiqué from the AU.
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