ICC releases Kenyan lawyer accused of witness tampering

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday conditionally released Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru who is among three Kenyans facing charges of influencing witnesses in a post-election violence case that claimed over 1,000 lives in 2007-08.

The court said Gicheru can only reside in Kenya with a known physical location and cannot travel abroad without clearance from the ICC.

“Paul Gicheru was released to Kenya with specific conditions restricting liberty, during the confirmation of charges proceedings against him at the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the court said, noting that the release came after Pre-Trial Chamber A’s decision on Jan. 29 2021, granting Gicheru interim release with conditions.

The court said Gicheru, who is suspected of offenses against the administration of justice and corruptly influencing witnesses of the court, shall provide one million Kenyan shillings ($9,100) financial security to the ICC Registrar.

Warrants for Gicheru and another absconder, Philip Kipkoech Bett, were issued on March 10, 2015. Bett is not in the ICC custody.

Uhuru Kenyatta, the nation’s president since 2013, became its first to appear before the ICC after being charged with crimes against humanity during the 2007-2008 post-election violence. The charges were dropped in December 2014.

Shortly after Mwai Kibaki was announced as the president in 2007 after defeating opposition leader Raila Odinga, tribal conflicts erupted across the East African country.

Kenyatta was among others accused of orchestrating the post-election violence that claimed more than 1,000 lives and left more than half-a-million others internally displaced.​​​​​​​