Monday, March 14, 2011

Kenyan PM denies having hand in naming of Ocampo Six



Written By:PMPS,    Posted: Mon, Mar 14, 2011


Prime Minister Raila Odinga has denied claims by a section of MPs that he may have had a hand in the timing of the summonses against six public figures suspected to bear the greatest responsibility for the post-election violence.
While terming the allegations shallow and hollow Odinga claimed those making the claims were not interested in an honest and truthful handling of the ICC issue.
He said the sealed envelope containing names of the suspects was handed over to chief mediator Kofi Annan by Justice Philip Waki, who investigated the violence more than a year ago.
He wondered then why the same politicians have now turned around, claiming it was he who had authored the names that Mr Ocampo released.
The PM said the politicians making the claims had the option of either setting up a local tribunal to try suspects of post election violence or letting the ICC take over the process.
"They also know that they voted in Parliament for the cases to be sent to the ICC. The MPs who made the claims today, are among those who voted against the establishment of a local tribunal. Yet when ICC did take over, the same politicians turned around to claim it was PM Odinga who sent the cases to ICC," he said in a statement.
Odinga said the politicians took the ICC route believing the process would never kick off but were now making an about turn following the release of the names.
"All these claims are part of the culture of lies and dishonesty that have gripped our politics and public life in recent years and which have put the country where it is today....a desperate effort to defend impunity and defeat justice," he said.
ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo has issued summonses for six Kenyans said to bear the greatest responsibility for the 2008 post election violence which killed over 1000 people and left hundreds of thousands of others displaced.

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