TJRC doesn’t meet ICC’s benchmarks
Jul 26, 2009
EDITOR—This is an open letter to International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. Special greetings from a half-million Kenyans languishing and wasting away in internally displaced people’s camps.
EDITOR—This is an open letter to International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. Special greetings from a half-million Kenyans languishing and wasting away in internally displaced people’s camps.
Mwai Kibaki, (I do not acknowledge him as president) having gazetted the names of his hand-picked appointees to the so-called Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), the hopes of the victims of the post-election violence for justice have been dashed.
The TJRC Act does not meet the international standards required by the ICC’s Rome Statute. Kenya has a long history of coverups, of which the TJRC is the latest perfect example as is evidenced by the words of a close Kibaki ally.
Environment minister John Michuki told Parliament that “the local tribunal will be our employees and we will be able to control them, but we cannot control Ocampo if you let this case go to The Hagueâ€!
Agriculture minister William Ruto has addressed tribal rallies across Rift Valley Province threatening more killings if he and other public officials are handed over to the ICC or taken before a local tribunal. Potential witnesses now feel too scared to come forward to testify before the TJRC or at The Hague.
Those threats of violence are tape-recorded and available to you from the Kenya media and other sources to use in your investigation. That the TJRC is designed to clear high-profile names and let political criminals off the hook was confirmed by the man Kibaki appointed as its chairman.
Bethwel Kiplagat was quoted as saying his team will not recommend punishment for the perpetrators of crimes against Kenyans because they will all be eligible for amnesty upon confession (Daily Nation, July 23-24).
I ask you to obtain and make a part of the record of the above and other statements implicating cabinet officials and the chairman of the TJRC in a conspiracy to subvert justice. Minister Ruto’s campaign of intimidating potential witnesses with retaliatory killings calls for urgent attention before the violence he is threatening erupts in Kenya again.
It is imperative that the ICC expedite its investigation of Kenya.
Pursuant to Article 28 of the Rome Statute, Kibaki broke international law and bears full responsibility of criminal negligence for the crimes committed against innocent Kenyans on his watch. I want him in jail as soon as possible.
Bosire Mosi
United States
Mwai Kibaki, (I do not acknowledge him as president) having gazetted the names of his hand-picked appointees to the so-called Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), the hopes of the victims of the post-election violence for justice have been dashed.
The TJRC Act does not meet the international standards required by the ICC’s Rome Statute. Kenya has a long history of coverups, of which the TJRC is the latest perfect example as is evidenced by the words of a close Kibaki ally.
Environment minister John Michuki told Parliament that “the local tribunal will be our employees and we will be able to control them, but we cannot control Ocampo if you let this case go to The Hagueâ€!
Agriculture minister William Ruto has addressed tribal rallies across Rift Valley Province threatening more killings if he and other public officials are handed over to the ICC or taken before a local tribunal. Potential witnesses now feel too scared to come forward to testify before the TJRC or at The Hague.
Those threats of violence are tape-recorded and available to you from the Kenya media and other sources to use in your investigation. That the TJRC is designed to clear high-profile names and let political criminals off the hook was confirmed by the man Kibaki appointed as its chairman.
Bethwel Kiplagat was quoted as saying his team will not recommend punishment for the perpetrators of crimes against Kenyans because they will all be eligible for amnesty upon confession (Daily Nation, July 23-24).
I ask you to obtain and make a part of the record of the above and other statements implicating cabinet officials and the chairman of the TJRC in a conspiracy to subvert justice. Minister Ruto’s campaign of intimidating potential witnesses with retaliatory killings calls for urgent attention before the violence he is threatening erupts in Kenya again.
It is imperative that the ICC expedite its investigation of Kenya.
Pursuant to Article 28 of the Rome Statute, Kibaki broke international law and bears full responsibility of criminal negligence for the crimes committed against innocent Kenyans on his watch. I want him in jail as soon as possible.
Bosire Mosi
United States