Judge Kuniko to preside over Kenyan cases

Written By:Catherine Achieng'a/Margaret Kalekye,    Posted: Fri, Apr 27, 2012

The Japanese judge will head the three-judge Bench of Trial Chamber V The stage is now set for the trial of four Kenyans facing crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court at The Hague.  Kuniko Ozaki has been elected president of a three-Judge Bench of Trial Chamber five that will hear the cases against Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta, former Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang. The other judges of the Chamber, appointed last month, are Christine Van Den Wyngaertõ of Belgium and Chile Eboe-Osuji  of Nigeria. Ozaki, was also handling Congo's Jean Pierre Bemba trial alongside judges Sylvia Steiner of Brazil and Kenya's Joyce Aluoch. The naming of Kuniko comes amid intense lobbying by the government to marshal support from the East African Community to have the Kenyan cases transferred back to the region. The East African Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously endorsed and adopted a motion urging the East African Community presidents to call for the transfer of the Kenya Post Election Violence cases to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) from the ICC. More to follow.......