Trial resumes with witness 536 on the stand

By FELIX OLICK

The first prosecution witness at The Hague is expected to continue with her testimony today as the trial against Deputy President William Ruto and former radio journalist Joshua Sang resumes.

However, the witness only known as 536 will continue to testify in camera because of security threats and attempts to unmask her identity.

“The Chamber is mindful of Article 68 (1) of the Statute to take measures to among other things protect the physical and psychological wellbeing of the witness,” ruled the Chamber as Court reverted to closed sessions two weeks ago.

It’s expected that Legal Representative of Victims Wilfred Nderitu would be the first to cross examine the witness who had earlier given a chilling account of the Kiambaa church killings.

After Nderitu, the witness would be cross-examined by Ruto’s lead lawyer Karim Khan and then Sang’s counsel Katwa Kigen.

Sources indicated that the defence have identified many fault lines in the woman’s testimony and is waiting to poke holes into her accounts.

The team plans to rebut her testimony from a statement by her former employer who has disowned her as having resigned from his home way back before the 2007 elections.

If the trials run throughout October without further adjournments, Ruto is likely to be at The Hague for the last time this year.

This is because, the trial against President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to open on November 12 and will alternate with that of Ruto every four weeks.

On September 9, Trial Chamber V (a) Judges ruled that the twin Kenyan cases will alternate on a four-week period sparing the country an eminent power vacuum

And according to the ICC calendar, the court is set to go on recess from December 13, to about January 6 2014.

The second prosecution witness who claims Orange Democratic Movement bankrolled youth to cause turmoil in the Rift Valley is likely to take to the stand next week.

The case against Ruto and Sang has adjorned twice since the trial opened on September 10.

The first adjournment was due to a prosecution witness hitch while the last adjournment was as a result of the Westgate Mall terror attack.

In his request for adjournment Ruto asked the three-judge Bench to allow him return home to help President Uhuru deal with the deteriorating security situation in the country.