ICC reveals RUTO is the ‘big man’ who offered ICC witnesses Sh 1.5 million to recant their evidence – The DP is not off the hook!

 Wednesday, February 16, 2022 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) has revealed that Deputy President William Ruto is the ‘big man’ who offered hefty bribes to witnesses in the crimes against humanity case facing him.

The Hague-based court made this damning revelation on Tuesday when the case against Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru commenced in the international court.

During the court hearing, the prosecution made submissions of witnesses who revealed that DP Ruto, through emissaries, offered them a bribe of Sh 1.5 million per person to recant their evidence in his case.

The witness identified as P-800 revealed that it started when witness P-540 approached him and told him that the big man who is DP Ruto had offered him a bribe of KSh 1.5 million.

“P-540 then told me the big man offered KSh 1.5 million and additional expenses to join the big man’s team and withdraw from the ICC case against the big man. 

“P-540 then asked me to accept the same offer of KSh 1.5 million which had been approved by the big man on condition that I withdraw myself as an ICC witness,” the Senior Trial Lawyer Anton Steynberg read the witness’s statements in court.

He then added: “I digress to state that the witness also clarified that he and P-540 used to refer to William Ruto as the big man,” he said.

Further, the prosecution told the court that the witness confessed that the money would come from Ruto through the lawyer, Paul Gicheru.

 “P-0540 told me that Gicheru, Simotwo, who I think is in charge of Amaco Insurance (which I think is owned by Ruto) and an ex-ambassador Stephen Tarus are all working for Ruto to locate Kenyan witness,” P-0800’s statement indicated as read by Steynberg in the ICC.

The hearing started on Tuesday before Judge Miatta Maria Samba of the ICC at The Hague in the Netherlands, 15 months after Gicheru surrendered himself.

Gicheru is accused of offences against the administration of justice by corruptly influencing eight witnesses concerning Ruto and Joshua Sang’s case, which stemmed from the 2007 post-election violence.