Ocampo: ICC has strong case in Kenya chaos

• ICC prosecutor vows to end impunity for most serious crimes.
• Mr Ocampo says Pre-Trial Chamber already constituted.

After gathering enough evidence, he will go to the Pre-Trial Chamber to request summons or warrant of arrest.

"This would be the moment that the names of persons who have to face justice will be revealed, not before."

The Summons to Appear can only be issued if the perpetrators of the violence will not seek to evade justice.

"If the Prosecutor considers the persons will not try to escape justice, that they will not destroy evidence or threaten witnesses, he can propose that the Pre-Trial Chamber issue a Summons to Appear, under which the person appears voluntarily before the Court," he said. He gave the example of Darfur rebel leader Abu Garda, who appeared voluntarily.

Mr Ocmapo expressed confidence that Kenya will arrest the post election violence suspects if called upon because it "is a well organised state."

Mr Ocampo, who jetted into the country on Thursday to meet President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga over the post poll violence, left for South Africa after the media briefing.

His meeting with the two principals on Thursday yielded little, after the two leaders declined to hand over the case to the ICC. This left the Prosecutor will no option but to take over the case.

However, the government agreed to cooperate fully with the ICC in case it takes possession of the case.

The government has, on several occasions, failed to meet the deadline for forming a Special Tribunal to try the post election violence suspects locally, the latest being September 30.

The chaos that followed a disputed presidential election in 2007 left at least 1,300 and another 650,000 displaced from their homes.

The two months of violence ended after former United Nations secretary general Kofi Anann brokered a peace deal that saw Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga agree to form a power-sharing coalition government.