- Title: KENYA: ICC's Ocampo says has strong cases in Kenya.
- Date: 8th November 2009
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (NOVEMBER 7, 2009) (REUTERS) (CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY) ICC PROSECUTOR LOUIS MORENO OCAMPO ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICC PROSECUTOR LOUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "I think I have a strong case, because the Waki commission has a very good report with full of information, and there are other reports. The UN produced reports; the different human rights groups produced reports. I believe that we have a strong case." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICC PROSECUTOR LOUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "I would like to be very clear; my policy is to prosecute the most responsible of the most serious crimes. If you see, there are four persons today in the prison waiting for trials in The Hague. All of them are the number one of the militias that committed the crimes. The last one was Bemba, so we define in according to the evidence, who ordered the crimes. That is my role, that is what I will do." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICC PROSECUTOR LOUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "My duty, my mandate, is to end impunity of the most serious crimes. I will do that. My duty is to do it, end impunity to prevent future crimes, so I understand because this was expressed by all the parties that everyone is worried about the next election in Kenya, 2012. That's why I understand the importance of speed and I am working to be sure that during 2010 if the judges offer mitigation, we will be able to complete investigations and to define who are the suspects, who are the accused that have to face justice in Kenya. And that will clean the situation so that you can have a peaceful election in 2011 and 12." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICC PROSECUTOR LOUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "Normally we present no more than 25, 30 witnesses we expect to do the cases in 4, 5, 6 months that is our style and that is what we are trying to do. Probably here will be two or three different cases, because there are different groups who committed crimes and we will identify the most responsible for each group." JOURNALISTS OCAMPO LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 23rd November 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA7SBST4PI09YM5AVJ8T4P2E2YB
- Story Text: ICC prosecutor says there are probably two or three Kenyan cases of crimes against humanity and he will move fast so that the investigation is finished next year.
The International Criminal Court prosecutor believes he has a strong case against a few people for crimes committed during Kenya's post-election violence and he will move fast to avoid a repeat at the 2012 election.
Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told a news conference on Saturday (November 7) there was also a chance any trial could take place in Kenya, or at the court in Arusha in Tanzania where suspects from Rwanda's 1994 genocide have been prosecuted.
"I think I have a strong case, because the Waki commission has a very good report with full of information, and there are other reports. The UN produced reports; the different human rights groups produced reports. I believe that we have a strong case," Moreno-Ocampo told a news conference.
Ethnic clashes after a disputed presidential election killed at least 1,300 people and uprooted more than 300,000, shattering Kenya's image as a stable, regional economic powerhouse.
Ocampo met President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday (November 5) and told them he would request the green light for an investigation in December from the ICC's pre-trial judges.
He said his decision to proceed unilaterally was because the Kenyan leaders had decided against referring the case themselves to The Hague, but they had promised to co-operate.
Ocampo said he would go for the masterminds of the violence.
"I would like to be very clear; my policy is to prosecute the most responsible of the most serious crimes. If you see, there are four persons today in the prison waiting for trials in The Hague. All of them are the number one of the militias that committed the crimes. The last one was Bemba, so we define in according to the evidence, who ordered the crimes. That is my role, that is what I will do," said Ocampo.
During a visit to Kenya in October, crisis mediator Kofi Annan warned that unless the architects of the killings were brought to book, there was a serious risk violence would erupt again at the next presidential election in 2012. In July, he gave Moreno-Ocampo a list of the top suspects identified in a report by a Kenyan judge. Political sources say it includes cabinet ministers, parliamentarians and businessmen.
"My duty, my mandate is to end impunity of the most serious crimes. I will do that. My duty is to do it, end impunity to prevent future crimes, so I understand because this was expressed by all the parties that everyone is worried about the next election in Kenya, 2012. That's why I understand the importance of speed and I am working to be sure that during 2010 if the judges offer mitigation, we will be able to complete investigations and to define who are the suspects, who are the accused that have to face justice in Kenya. And that will clean the situation so that you can have a peaceful election in 2011 and 12," said Ocampo.
He said that assuming he gets the go-ahead from the ICC pre-trial judges to proceed in December, the investigation should be completed during 2010 and the suspects defined.
"Normally we present no more than 25, 30 witnesses we expect to do the cases in 4, 5, 6 months that is our style and that is what we are trying to do. Probably here will be two or three different cases, because there are different groups who committed crimes and we will identify the most responsible for each group," said Ocampo.
The 2002 Rome Treaty established the ICC, the world's first permanent court set up to try individuals for genocide, war crimes and other major human rights violations.
Kenya had promised to deal with the masterminds. But numerous attempts to kick-start the process have floundered and many Kenyans are sceptical powerful individuals will be arrested and charged because of widespread impunity among politicians. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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