Deputy President William Ruto’s lawyers and the ICC prosecution yesterday agreed that the 23rd witness lied in his initial statement and before the judges.
They agreed that the witness had lied that he had been given a pre-recorded statement by the prosecution from which he drew his statement to the investigators.
They said the witness’s testimony last week should not be believed.
The defence lawyers agreed with the prosecution that the witness, who concluded his testimony yesterday, gave a version of accounts that did not add up.
Yesterday, the witness continued disowning the statement as he was being cross examined by journalist Joshua Sang’s lawyer, Katwa Kigen.
He told the judges that he did not hear the former Kass FM presenter on radio in the run up to the 2007 general elections.
The witness disowned his earlier statement where he said he heard Sang announce the government plans to rig the election.
“I never had radio during that period. It had no batteries and therefore I could not get information from the radio,” the witness said.
The witness further denied knowledge of a public meeting in Eldoret in December 2007 where ODM politicians, including Ruto, addressed a crowd at Kipchoge Stadium.
Though he told Ruto’s lawyers he did not attend the rally, he said he did not follow it on either radio or television.
At the same time, the third of the compelled witness against Ruto and Sang took the stand yesterday through video-link from Nairobi.
The witness, who is represented by lawyer Wandugi Karathe, was first questioned by prosecution lawyer Anton Steynberg who sought to know why he had refused to be testify.
The witness said he did not decline to testify but he was unwell.
“The president (presiding judge) asked me whether I wanted to meet the staff of the prosecution or the victims’ unit and I said I want to meet those of the victims’ unit,” the witness said.
– the-star.co.ke
