Ocampo Six face compensation suit

By Evelyn KwambokaMore than 600 post-election violence victims are eyeing compensation from the 'Ocampo Six'.
The victims, who have filed applications at the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) registry, may only be compensated if any of the suspects is found guilty. 

The court would sell assets of those found guilty to raise money for the compensation.
By last week, close to 500 victims had filed their applications in the case surrounding Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura and Postmaster General Hussein Ali. 

In the matter touching on Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and radio presenter Joshua Sang, there were 164 forms forwarded to the court by on Monday.
The court’s registrar, Silvana Arbia, said the number of applicants exceeds the estimates that had been given by the intermediaries providing the applications.
Through Director Marc Dubrusson, she said it is likely that a number of applications received will be assessed as incomplete. 

"Considering the limited resources available to the VPRS, the Registry calculates that it could redact and provide individual reports on no more than 400 complete applications by the deadline of July 8," she said. 

She said the registry has requested the Chamber’s guidance on whether to process all applications irrespective of completeness, or to prioritise applications assessed as complete.

Suffered loss
In law, once charges against any of the suspects is confirmed, his/her assets are frozen and can only be released if the court finds he is not guilty of committing the offence.
If guilty, the properties would be sold to raise money to compensate the victims.
The form is only supposed to be filled by people who are believed to have suffered loss as a result of the violence. 

The purpose of the document is to collect information to help the ICC Chamber decide on matters relating to compensation.
In the Ruto matter, most of the victims are from Eldoret.
The victims are seeking compensation to restore them to their homes and assist in clearing bank loans taken before the 2008 skirmishes. 

More than 1,000 people died and 350,000 were displaced from their homes and property worth millions of shillings destroyed at the height of post-election violence.
Rift Valley Province and Naivasha were the epicentres of the violence that was occasioned by a disputed presidential vote.