International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda censured over ‘shoddy probe’

By Ngari Gichuki

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has been faulted over ‘shoddy investigations’ in the Kenyan cases.

Participants at a forum at Ufungamano House, Nairobi, during a debate on whether Kenya should pull out of the ICC or not said on Thursday, the court did sloppy investigations.

They further urged the government to initiate steps to withdraw the country from the Rome Statute, which established The Hague-based court.

Panelists included Prof Maina Machara, who chaired the session, Prof Peter Kagwanja, former assistant minister Danson Mungatana, Centre for Multiparty Democracy Chairman Omingo Magara and Mr Dismass Kizito Mokua.

Mungatana pointed out that former ICC prosecutor Louis Moreno-Ocampo did not treat the Kenyan cases with the seriousness they deserved, but “conducted public relations investigations and held press conferences to fool people that he had concrete facts”.

He also faulted the ICC trials, saying that true justice for victims would come when they are restored to their former status, but not by jailing a few individuals.

Kagwanja termed the ICC process a crude tool to deal with a complex issue such as the one facing Kenya and as a result, the court was dividing the country.

In the same vein, Dr Nyekorach Matsanga, CEO of the Pan African Forum ltd said the ICC cases will not succeed.