The Cabinet sub-committee chairman on the ICC, Prof George Saitoti, speaks to Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’ at a hearing called by the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee March 28, 2012. On the left is Fisheries Minister Amason Kingi. Emma Nzioki | NATION
By FRED MUKINDA fmukinda@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Wednesday, March 28 2012 at 22:00
Posted Wednesday, March 28 2012 at 22:00
IN SUMMARY
- Team to summon Kibaki and Raila over alleged UK conspiracy
A parliamentary committee intends to interview President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga over an alleged conspiracy to charge the former at the International Criminal Court.
This was announced on Wednesday by the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee investigating the authenticity of documents tabled in Parliament claiming the United Kingdom hatched a plot targeting the President for trial for crimes against humanity during the 2007/08 post-election violence.
“All individuals mentioned, including His Excellency (President Kibaki), Prime Minister (Mr Odinga) Speaker (Mr Kenneth Marende), Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru (Kenyatta), we will have an audience with them. It is not something that is just going to go away,” committee chairman Adan Keynan said.
He was addressing the chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee on ICC, Prof George Saitoti when he appeared before it.
Prof Saitoti said police were investigating and appealed for more time to find out whether the document was genuine or fake.
The UK Government has dismissed it as a malicious “fabrication.
The committee asked Prof Saitoti to return on April 11 to report on the investigations.
No powers
Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere is expected to brief the committee a day earlier, having been granted more time to investigate after his initial appearance on Tuesday.
The team had put pressure on Prof Saitoti to produce a progress report.
“We will be tempted as a committee to think that you are not prepared to share that information with Parliament and you know the cost. We will just invoke the standing orders, the powers and privileges and the rules are there,” warned Mr Keynan.
But the minister said the team had no powers to carry out such an investigation.
“Our mandate is confined to liaison matters. Obtaining documents from the ICC, examining them and deciding how they will be dealt with by other agencies of the government. We have not been mandated to carry out investigations on the authenticity and we even don’t have that capacity,” Prof Saitoti said.
He was accompanied by Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’ and Fisheries Minister Amason Kingi.
“We must make sure that nothing remains undone that can make the ICC think that the government is not cooperating. This matter came from the blue. It didn’t come from the ICC or the government but from an MP,” Mr Kajwang’ said.
On Tuesday, the committee threatened to invoke punitive measures against National Intelligence Service director Michael Gichangi after he failed to appear before it to shed light on the matter.
Maj-Gen Gichangi did not turn up at Wednesday’s session even after the committee issued a summons and threatened to invoke punitive measures.
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