Hague-bound suspects’ names out on Wednesday

The names of suspects going to the Hague will be known on Wednesday.

That’s the day International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presents his case to the Pre-Trial Chamber.

The prosecutor told journalists in New York that he was ready with his case against the perpetrators of the post-election violence and would seek summons against the six Kenyans.

Last Thursday when he was in Nairobi, the prosecutor threatened to prosecute people he suspects were intimidating witnesses. He raised the issue with President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo has said he will not request the ICC judges to issue arrest warrants for the six individuals but would seek summons for them to go to The Hague.

At the same time, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission has warned that it would deal with those who use the Hague process to instigate ethnic hatred.

Commission vice-chair Mary Onyango said the law allows them to prosecute persons who perpetrates ethnic hatred.

Ms Onyango said that even though there were no indications that violence would erupt once the suspects are named, the commission would remain vigilant she said at a gathering organised by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

The list of six had created tension among politicians dividing them along political and tribal lines, but the prosecutor says he is only seeking individual criminal responsibility for the perpetrators of the chaos that led to the killing of 1,133 people and displacement of 650,000 others.

Meanwhile, Eldoret North MP William Ruto has filed a case at The Hague seeking to stop Mr Moreno-Ocampo from seeking summons against suspects until he conducts his own investigations.

His lawyer, Mr Katwa Kigen filed the case on Wednesday. Mr Ruto says he believes the prosecutor may have formed an opinion that he could be a suspect.

Assisting lawyer Kindiki Kithure argues that witnesses were induced, coached and compromised to implicate Mr Ruto.