Lawyer Paul Gicheru silently sneaked out of the country without even saying a word to his lawyer, John Khaminwa, then surrendered to International Criminal Court (ICC).
Paul Gicheru, who the senior lawyer claims to be of ill health did not either meet him or call to explain that he was leaving Kenya and why he took the decision.
Dr Khaminwa yesterday said he was surprised after finding out from the media that his client had flown out and was now awaiting processing by the international criminal court.
He, however, said he had spoken to Gicheru’s wife who is with him in the Netherlands yesterday, and she had explained that they were fine. It also emerged that Gicheru, who is accused of being the grandmaster of a syndicate suspected to have interfered with witnesses in the case against Deputy President William Ruto, is not yet in the custody of the international court.
“I have spoken to his wife in The Hague and they are fine. Paul Gicheru as I know him does not enjoy good health at all and I hope that authorities in Hague will not put him into custody. I know him as a client and he should continue to be free. I know they read your paper there,” Khaminwa added.
According to Khaminwa, Gicheru had positive orders from the High Court and which had not been set aside. He referred to the 2015 decree by Justice Luka Kimaru as ‘good orders’ for Gicheru which allowed him to enjoy his freedom in the country.
He says, what changed his heart remains a mystery.
“I did not meet him at all. I obtained good orders for him, that he should not be extradited and that matter had ended and I am surprised. I am wondering why he surrendered. I was just surprised like everyone that he had gone to Amsterdam,” Dr Khaminwa told a local daily.
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If found guilty of committing crimes against administration of justice, Gicheru is to spend five years in jail or a fine in accordance with the court’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence, or both.
The court had announced on Tuesday that through its registry services, it had submitted a request to the Dutch authorities for the arrest and surrender of the lawyer to the court upon completion of the necessary national arrest proceedings.
In a short trial yesterday in which the office of the Prosecutor (OTP) was represented by Fatou Bensouda and James Stewart, the president of the Pre-Trial Division Judge Tomoko Akane, the judge Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou from Ivory Coast was named to hear the case.
Gicheru surrendered himself to the Netherlands authorities on Monday.
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