Lawyers granted visas to The Hague

By Cyrus Ombati

Lawyers representing security chiefs who served during the post-election violence period have been granted visas to travel to the to The Hague to represent their clients.

But they complained that the Dutch embassy in Nairobi had given them a single entry visa whereas they had applied for multiple ones.

They argued that the single 30-day entry visa they were granted yesterday would force them to reapply if they want to travel there.

"It means we have to apply again for the visa when we will want to travel there. We wanted the multiple ones because we know we have serious business to transact there," said Ken Ogeto, one of the lawyers.

The lawyers reiterated their earlier demand that the case be moved to a friendlier country where access is easy and fast.

"We want unlimited access to The Hague because that is the court that is handling cases touching on our clients," he said.

Indictments

Apart from Mr Ogeto, Evans Monari will also travel to The Netherlands to pursue the case.

The security chiefs will be seeking, among others, an order staying any decision on a possible application by the Office of the Prosecutor for the issuance of indictments in relation to the 2007-2008 chaos until when they will be in a position to record statements.

It is out of the application that Justice Kalpana Rawal postponed the planned grilling of the PPOs and PCs to December 20 to allow the lawyers travel to The Hague to pursue the case.

The lawyers will be seeking to protect their clients from being entangled in the ICC case probing masterminds of the 2007 post-election violence.

Those named in the suit papers are Ernest Mwinyi, King’ori Mwangi, Hassan Noor, Grace Kaindi, Njue Njagi, James Waweru, Paul Olando, Japhet Rugut and others.