Paul Gicheru Pre-Trial To Start Today At 7pm In ICC

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The first appearance of Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru is set to start today at 7 pm.

Gicheru will appear in the Courtroom I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) before Judge Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou of Pre-Trial Chamber A.

He was transferred to the custody of the ICC on November 3, 2020, after turning himself to the Dutch authorities for alleged offences against the administration of justice consisting in corrupt influencing witnesses of the court.

During the first appearance hearing, the judge will verify the identity of Gicheru and the language in which he is able to follow in the proceedings.

The Kenyan lawyer will also be informed of the charges against him and of his rights under the ICC Rome Statute.

Due to the Covid-19 restriction, the ICC has opted to let the hearing be held on a partially virtual basis.

The suspect will appear by video-link technology from the Court’s Detention Centre.

Due to the pandemic, access to the Court’s premises will remain restricted to protect the safety and well-being of users.

A restricted number of public and reporter will be given access to the hearing at the seat of the court, following measures against Covid-19 including keeping social distance and wearing face masks.

The warrant of arrest against Gicheru and Philip Kipkoech was issued under seal on 10 March 2015 and unsealed on 10 September 2015. Bett is yet to surrender to the ICC.

The surrender of Gicheru was a surprise to many including even the ICC, according to a veteran British-born Israeli lawyer.

In an interview with the Star, Nick Kaufman, who represents journalist Walter Barasa, also wanted at the ICC over witness tampering, said the surrender was a bombshell to everyone.

It is not yet clear whether the chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will be revisiting the Kenyan cases after independent experts closed the cases were interfered by her predecessor Louis Moreno Ocampo.

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Rumours have it that Gicheru’s trail is likely to resuscitate the case against DP Ruto and Journalist Sang’.

Kaufman however, told the local daily that that will depend entirely on what Gicheru tells the Internation Court.

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