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Uhuru: We still want out of ICC despite Ruto decision

President Kenyatta said that while the decision to vacate the charges was commendable, the court had by its own admission weaknesses, and unless it was reformed, the resolve to exit remained unchanged/PSCU

President Kenyatta said that while the decision to vacate the charges was commendable, the court had by its own admission weaknesses, and unless it was reformed, the resolve to exit remained unchanged/PSCU

BERLIN, Germany, Apr 8 – President Uhuru Kenyatta is insistent that the African Union must pull out of the International Criminal Court despite its decision to vacate the crimes against humanity charges that were facing his Deputy President William Ruto.

President Kenyatta said that while the decision to vacate the charges was commendable, the court had by its own admission weaknesses, and unless it was reformed, the resolve to exit remained unchanged.

“It just goes to vindicate the position that we have always held that these charges against us were trumped up charges and we were never supposed to be before that court and seven and a half years later down the road the position that we have always maintained has now been accepted by the court itself,” he told France24 in an interview.

He also denied that his government was guilty of frustrating the ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s office in her pursuit of evidence against Ruto and said her witnesses had simply recanted their testimony not because they were intimidated but because their initial statements were false.

“They lied; plain and simple!”

It’s for this reason, he said, that he believed the prosecutor would be unable to mount another successful case against Ruto should she choose to.

READ: Bensouda studying Ruto, Sang ICC verdict to decide next move

He said now that the ICC “dark cloud,” was behind him and his deputy, they would concentrate all their efforts on “healing and reconciliation.”

A thanksgiving service is scheduled for Saturday, April 16 in Nakuru.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday terminated the case against Deputy President William Ruto and former broadcaster Joshua arap Sang.

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Trial Chamber V (A) of the ICC decided, by majority – with Judge Olga Herrera Carbuccia dissenting – that the case against DP Ruto and Sang be terminated.

The concurring judges found that the prosecution’s evidence was insufficient to sustain the trial – and a conviction for that matter.

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