Two Kenyans arrested on bribery charges in ICC case
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced the arrest of two Kenyans for seeking to bribe witnesses in a high-profile case.
Lawyer Paul Gicheru and Philip Kipkoech Bett were both arrested in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on July 30, The Hague-based court said on Thursday.
They face six charges and stand accused of "organizing a criminal scheme to systematically approach and corruptly influence" ICC prosecution witnesses, according to a court document.
The ICC said that in one case, Gicheru negotiated a five-million Kenyan shilling (42,000 euros) bribe to persuade one witness to drop out of the case.
In May 2013, two payments were made to the witness, who agreed in Gicheru's office that they "no longer intended to testify and wished to withdraw the testimony previously given."
The two men, who were involved in two cases related to the country's senior government officials, also promised other witnesses bribes of up to 2.5 million shillings (21,000 euros).
The controversial case against President Uhuru Kenyatta collapsed in late 2014 after the ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, withdrew the charges, citing lack of evidence.
Kenyatta had been accused of masterminding the country's 2007-2008 deadly post-election violence.
Deputy President William Ruto is still on trial and is accused of crimes against humanity after 1,000 people died in the unrest.
In 2013, former journalist, Walter Osapiri Barasa, was accused of seeking to bribe witnesses in Ruto's trial.
At least 16 out of 42 witnesses in Ruto's trial have changed their stories or refused to take the stand, saying they had been threatened and intimidated.
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