William Ruto prosecution witness disowns video clip evidence

Deputy President William Ruto.

By Felix Olick

The Hague, Netherlands: The sixth prosecution witness against Deputy President William Ruto has disowned a video clip that the prosecution used as its evidence and described it as ‘out of place’.

The witness said the video clip of a rally addressed by Ruto in Kapsabet that was shown to him by prosecution investigators was ‘disfigured’ and ‘very blurred’.

It’s during the rally at Kipchoge Keino Stadium that Ruto allegedly made derogatory remarks calling Kikuyu’s enemies.

“He (Ruto) chided Moi for supporting Kibaki and I remember he said something to the effect that Kikuyus are enemies and whoever supports Kibaki is a witch,” he said during his examination-in-chief.

However, Monday, the witness maintained that the video played to him by the prosecution was not clear like the one played in court last week by Ruto’s defence lawyer David Hooper.

“Would you be able to still make some comparison?” presiding Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji asked.

“The one that the OTP (Office of the Prosecutor) provided I can say it was out of place completely,” responded the witness.

Judge Osuji: Too blurred for you to be able to say that what you saw on Friday is a better version of what the OTP showed you?

Witness: What OTP provided I thought maybe it was different completely.

Judge Osuji: So it did not show the same events? Is that what you are saying?

Witness: Yes, Your Honour.

The judge then ordered that the proceedings to go into private session. It is not clear whether the witness withdrew his allegations against Ruto as well.

The video the witness disowned Monday was part of evidence given to the defence by the prosecution

Monday, the witness also agreed that he did not listen to the programme, Lene Emet from start to finish on any particular day.

Subject matter

He also failed to pin-point which particular days Sang hosted the programme insisting that it was likely to be on week days only.

“Are you in a position to tell this court, of a particular day you listened to the programme, the subject matter and the people he hosted” asked Sang’s lawyer Katwa Kigen during his cross-examination Monday. The witness, only identified by the alias P268, replied that he couldn’t.

 Mr Kigen: Mr Witness, do you recall ever hearing the programme over the weekend?

 Witness: I don’t recall. But I am not sure.

 Monday, the witness also agreed that Sang occasionally hosted PNU supporters and officials during his radio show.  The witness had claimed that Sang was opposed to callers who didn’t support the ODM and would disconnect the line, reprimand them or even call for their punishment.