Monday, August 6, 2012

Activist Gachoka writes to ICC on post-poll chaos 'evidence'


Activist Gachoka writes to ICC on post-poll chaos 'evidence'

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Tony Gachoka (left) confers with Prime Minister Raila Odinga at a past conference in 2009. PHOTO /  FILE
Tony Gachoka (left) confers with Prime Minister Raila Odinga at a past conference in 2009. PHOTO / FILE 
By AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, August 6  2012 at  12:26
Political activist Tony Gachoka has written to the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking to give information he says is “relevant” to the on-going cases against four Kenyans.
In a letter dated last August 1 this year, and which was republished as a paid-up ad inThe Standard on Sunday, Mr Gachoka told ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda that he has information concerning the events of the 2007-2008 general election that culminated into violence.
Mr Gachoka told Ms Bensouda that he has volunteered to come forth and “disclose all that I know” with the support of documentary evidence because he has learnt the investigations the Prosecutor did in Kenya was not sufficient to get the culprits behind the post-election violence.
“Initially, I thought that the Prosecutor’s investigations would unearth the true circumstances surrounding and underpinning the post-election violence, and that the investigations would unmask the major players behind the violence,” he wrote.
There is no mention of the names that might feature in the information he is willing to disclose.
However, Mr Gachoka claims he was in charge of Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s dairy for all local and international meetings as well as sitting in those meetings when he was the Chief Protocol in the PM’s office between 2008 and 2009.
He adds that he worked as the PM’s political aide from 2005, the time Mr Odinga’s party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was born.
“During my time working for the Prime Minister, certain information relevant to the ongoing International Criminal Court trials regarding the Kenya situation came to my knowledge.
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“This information touches on some of the evidence adduced before the Court and which has been relied upon by the office of the Chief Prosecutor (sic),” he writes.
But the Prime Minister’s Office dismissed Mr Gachoka’s claim that he managed Mr Odinga’s meetings.
“He was never in charge of the diary,” PM’s Director of Communication Dennis Onyango tersely told the Nation. “Ask him to tell you what he did,” he added when we sought to know what his roles were.
Four Kenyans are facing a trial at the Hague for crimes committed during the post-poll violence in 2008 in which more than 600,000 people lost their homes and livelihood. They are Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, former Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura and radio journalist Joshua Sang.
Mr Gachoka defended his decison to withhold the ‘evidence’, saying he feared for his life.
“For some time, I have agonised as to whether I should come forward and reveal what I know regarding the Post-election violence…”
“I am afraid for my life and the lives of my family as the information I hold is extremely prejudicial to some powerful and influential personalities,” he said.
Mr Gachoka’s announcement makes him the second former PM’s employees to state they hold crucial information related to the 2008 violence.
Last month, Mr Odinga’s former Advisor on Coalition matters Miguna Miguna told a gathering at the launch of his book, Peeling Back the Mask, that he had information that could take most of the government officials to the Hague.
That announcement made the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko to order that Mr Miguna be arrested for withholding evidence.

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