International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has said she is not ready to proceed with the trial of President Uhuru Kenyatta on October 7 as earlier scheduled.
In the notice filed on Friday, Ms Bensouda is seeking to have the start of the trial of President Kenyatta postponed until such a time that the Kenyan government fully complies with the request for his financial and property records.
In the four-page notice, Ms Bensouda asked the Trial Chamber to ensure the requested items are obtained from the Kenya government.
“Pursuant to the Chamber’s 28 August 2014 order, the Prosecution hereby provides notice that as matters currently stand, it will not be in a position to proceed to trial on 7 October 2014,” said Ms Bensouda.
According to the notice, Ms Bensouda states that from an evidentiary standpoint, the situation is the same as when the prosecution sought an adjournment of the trial date on December 19, 2013— “the available evidence is insufficient to prove Mr Uhuru Kenyatta’s alleged criminal responsibility beyond reasonable doubt.”
However, Ms Bensouda said it would be inappropriate for the prosecution to withdraw the charges against Mr Kenyatta before the Kenyan government complies with the revised request.
