DP William Ruto accuses witness of discussing proceedings

Deputy President William Ruto now claims a prosecution witness currently testifying against him has been consulting other witnesses on what to say at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Ruto, through his lawyer Karim Khan, said witness 658 has also been following previous proceedings and testimony by other witnesses in the media.

Khan made the allegations when he began cross-examining the witness at the Hague-based court yesterday morning. Ruto is charged together with journalist Joshua arap Sang for crimes against humanity said to have been committed during the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

Secret meetings

Over 1,200 people were killed during the violence following the announcement of the disputed presidential election results.

Khan asked the witness to confirm that he was having secret meetings with other witnesses without the knowledge of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP).

"You have been discussing proceedings extensively with other witnesses. You have had secret meetings with people you know to be witnesses," Khan asked.

But the witness denied the allegations, saying he had nothing to discuss on the case.

"You panicked when you saw a car with the OTP officers inside and you jumped into a bush, is it true?" Khan asked.

The witness denied this claim.

The witness has been testifying since last week. He has told the court about meetings addressed by Ruto and political associates in which, he claims, the DP incited the Kalenjin community against the Kikuyu in the North Rift.

He claimed Ruto had told the Kikuyu to leave Eldoret and go back to Othaya with then President Mwai Kibaki, during the elections.

But Khan told the witness that Ruto has never said Kikuyus should go to Othaya. Khan asked the witness if he was aware that Ruto has two sisters married to Kikuyus and his nephews were half Kikuyu.

He also told the witness that one of Ruto's chief campaigners in 2007 Joseph Njoroge was a Kikuyu.

The witness said he did not know details of Ruto's family and that he did not know Njoroge.

Earlier, the Chamber explained its ruling made on Friday in which it denied a request by Ruto to conceal sources of some evidence he was using to cross examine the witness.

Ruto's defence team had asked to have the sources concealed, saying they were his defence witnesses.

But the judges directed him to either disclose the sources or withdraw the items from list of material to use in cross-exam.

The judges said it would be unfair to allow a party to use document in cross-examining a witness called by the opponents without disclosing the source of that material.

Khan will cross-examine the witness upto Friday. The Hearing continues.

Last month, a prosecution witness claimed frustration by ICC officials forced him to enter into negotiations with other people over how to recant his evidence.