AMSTERDAM / NAIROBI // The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for a Kenyan citizen charged with trying to bribe witnesses to withdraw testimony in a case against Kenyan deputy president William Ruto.
The suspect, Walter Barasa, a journalist in Mr Ruto’s political stronghold of Eldoret, said he denied the charges and said police had not tried to detain him.
Mr Ruto, whose trial began last month, and president Uhuru Kenyatta, are charged separately with orchestrating violence in Kenya after contested elections in 2007 and in which 1,200 people were killed. Mr Kenyatta’s trial starts in November.
Kenya has called for the cases to be dropped or moved closer to home. It has also rallied African support against the court, which has until now charged only Africans. The arrest warrant will test Kenya’s stated commitment to cooperate with the court.
Several witnesses have withdrawn, with prosecutors alleging intimidation and defence lawyers denying it. In March, the loss of an important witness led to the collapse of the case against Mr Kenyatta’s co-accused, the former civil service chief Francis Muthaura.
Prosecutors said Mr Barasa had been charged with three counts of corruptly influencing or seeking to corruptly influence witnesses.
One count charged that he had paid a prosecution witness and her husband 1.4 million shillings (Dh59,000) to withdraw testimony. Mr Barasa faced up to five years in prison, or a fine, or both if found guilty, she said.
A court spokesman said Kenyan authorities had been informed about the warrant.
Mr Barasa has denied the charges.
“I have not gotten in touch with any witnesses or anybody having any intention of asking them or bribing them to pull out of the case,” he said.
Mr Ruto’s trial resumed on Wednesday, after an adjournment to allow the deputy president to handle issues related to the Al Shabab attack on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall on September 21.
* Reuters
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
