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Uhuru ICC case ‘pinnacle of insanity’ – Matsanga

Matsanga says the Kenyatta case has reached what he termed "a pinnacle of insanity" and needs to be terminated/FILE

Matsanga says the Kenyatta case has reached what he termed “a pinnacle of insanity” and needs to be terminated/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 4 – As parties in the case against President Uhuru Kenyatta prepare for Wednesday’s status conference in The Hague, Conflict Resolution Expert David Matsanga is calling for the termination of the charges facing the Kenyan leader.

Matsanga says the Kenyatta case has reached what he termed “a pinnacle of insanity” and needs to be terminated.

“It is very disheartening for the prosecutor to tell the world that after spending over $200 million of international tax payers’ money on flawed investigations she still wants three more months,” Matsanga said through his think-tank Africa Strategy, ahead of the status conference in which President Kenyatta is not obliged to attend in person.

ICC judges have convened a status conference in The Hague on Wednesday to discuss the Kenyatta case, after ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda asked for a delay in commencement of the trial for a further three more months.

The trial was earlier scheduled to start on Wednesday, but was suspended indefinitely and instead replaced with the status conference which, judges said, will give both the defence and prosecution an opportunity to discuss various arguments.

The defence has indicated that it is opposed to the prosecutor’s request, and instead asked the judges to terminate the charges altogether.

On his part, Matsanga who has been vocal in criticising the prosecutor’s investigations, says the charges facing the president should be terminated under Article 53, or in the alternative face perjury charges under Article 70 of the Rome Statute.

“It is shocking that after 3 years in office as prosecutor, Bensouda has followed the same footprints or footsteps of her predecessor Moreno Ocampo, without correcting the wrongs,” he stated.

Bensouda in a late January filing indicates that she intends to open up more investigations on more suspects accused of planning or financing the post election violence that left 1,100 people dead and more than half a million others displaced.

Kenyatta is facing trial alone in Kenya Case II after charges against his co-accused Hussein Ali and Francis Muthaura were dropped.

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The trial against his deputy, William Ruto, and former Kass FM radio presenter Joshua arap Sang which started last year was adjourned last week until February 17.

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