Ruto, Ocampo team discuss way forward

By Standard Team
Suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto spent the whole day Friday in a series of meetings with officers at the International Criminal Court to establish procedures on how he will defend himself against charges of post-elections violence if he is indicted.
Ruto’s day began at 8am when he went into a closed-door session with his lawyers and ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s team. They only broke for a short lunch break at 12.30pm before going back for the afternoon session at 2pm with the same team.
The surprise visit by Ruto, who was recently suspended from the Cabinet because of a criminal case he is facing, has sent shockwaves across the country with politicians wondering what he would divulge on the violence.
Belgut MP Charles Keter told The Standard on Saturday on telephone that Ocampo was expected to attend the third session that began shortly after 5pm local time.
The Ocampo team was also expected to brief the Ruto team on prosecution procedures and he will present his defence.
Ruto’s team was also expected to know how many witnesses would be called to testify against him and the accusations levelled against him.
Reached on the telephone before the last session last evening, the Ocampo team refused to divulge details of their discussion with Ruto.
"It is upon him to decide whether to brief the media on details of our discussions with him," said the official.
By the time we went to press, the minister and his team had not emerged from the meeting and we could not establish if Ocampo himself attended the last session.
The suspended minister is accompanied by his two lawyers, Prof Kindiki Kithure and Mr Katwa Kigen and Keter. Kithure and Kigen travelled to The Hague on Wednesday and were joined by Ruto and Keter who left the country on Thursday night.
Sources in Nairobi said the MP was keen to have the case commence as quickly as possible so that he can get the opportunity of defending himself and shaming those he believes sponsored the witnesses to testify against him.
"He wants the court to dispense of this matter so that he can preoccupy himself with his political agenda next year," said an MP from South Rift Valley on telephone from Nakuru.
Ruto took everyone by surprise on Wednesday evening when he left the country with Keter promising that he was going to The Hague to set the record straight.
It had all along been rumoured since last year that he was among the prime suspects named in the report on post-election violence suspects, presented by Justice Philip Waki to The Hague.
It is widely believed that his name was among those that were presented to Waki by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
It is now expected that two other ministers who were also mentioned in the report will present themselves to Ocampo so that the case can begin without delay.
A team of ICC interrogators are in the country to take statements from witnesses, among them senior police officers who served in areas that were worst hit by the violence that claimed over 1,300 people.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta is among the politicians who were adversely mentioned in the KNCHR report.
Yesterday, Assistant Minister for Agriculture Kareke Mbiuki said politicians allied to Uhuru would rally behind him if he is required to go to The Hague.
Mr Mbiuki said Mr Uhuru would travel to meet Ocampo after he gets briefs from Ruto.
"We are waiting for the arrival of Ruto before we travel with Uhuru to meet Ocampo in The Hague," the Tharaka MP said in Kitale yesterday.
Mbiuki said Central Province leaders had agreed to let the Finance minister face Ocampo to clear the air and prove his innocence against accusation of his alleged role in the post-election violence.
‘We have no doubt’
Yesterday Mbiuki defended Uhuru against accusations of his involvement in the skirmishes witnessed during the disputed presidential results.
"We have no doubt that the DPM would prove his enemies wrong," said the assistant minister when he officiated the opening of the North Rift national ASK in Kitale.
He said Uhuru was ready to meet Ocampo to clear the air and give his side of the story in connection with the post-elections violence.
"He is not scared of anything because he is innocent and we warn political fixers that time would prove them wrong," he further stated.
Mbiuki and Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny alleged there was a plot by certain political leaders to fix Uhuru and Ruto to stop them from pursuing their presidential ambitions.
"We know they want to fix the two in order to kick them out of the presidential race but we are certain they would defeat such moves," added Mbiuki.
The MPs censured some politicians for peddling lies to achieve political gains.
"Those who claimed vote rig and called for mass action are known and they should not sacrifice Ruto. Let them be sincere and face the law," Mbiuki added.
At the height of the tension after President Kibaki was declared winner of the 2007 disputed presidential election, ODM called for mass action to force a recount of the ballots.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Raila Odinga has denied that the party was preparing to defend itself against allegations that it incited the youth into mass action after the disputed presidential elections in December 2007.
Minutes Of Security Meetings
Raila further denied that ICC had requested to be given minutes of an ODM meeting where mass action was discussed.
The Prime Minister was speaking in Naivasha Friday during a two-day retreat for the party’s Parliamentary Group.
Recently, when ICC sought minutes of security meetings of top Government officials, MPs allied to Ruto also demanded that ODM’s top brass, the Pentagon also avail its minutes, claiming the organ played a role in the violence.