Paul Gicheru

Paul Gicheru Njoroge was[1][2]a Kenyan lawyer and qualified advocate of the High Court (Kenya) who was accused by Hague-based International Criminal Court of bribing and intimidating witnesses in a case against the now Kenyan President William Ruto, and journalist Joshua Sang that was dismissed in 2016. He faced six counts of bribery[3] and corruptly inducing witnesses to interfere with justice. He was found dead[4][5] in his house in Karen, Nairobi on 26 September 2022.

Paul Gicheru Njoroge
Born(1972-11-28)28 November 1972
Nandi County, Kenya
Died26 September 2022(2022-09-26) (aged 49)
Karen, Kenya
NationalityKenyan
CitizenshipKenya
Alma materUniversity of Nairobi
Bachelor of Law
Kenya School of Law
Post Graduate Diploma
Known forICC case
TitleLawyer

Career

Gicheru[6][7] began his career at Kalya and Company Advocates in Eldoret before proceeding to open his own - Gicheru and Company Advocates in the same town. In 2014 he was appointed by the head of Kenya's National Treasury Henry Rotich to head the Public Procurement Review Board for two years.

Hague Case

In March 2010, ICC's Pre-trial chamber II opened an investigation[8] into the political violence that occurred in Kenya after the 2007 Kenyan general election. A letter of arrest for Gicheru and one Philip Kipkoech Bett was issued five years later on 10 Mar. 2015 and unsealed on 10 Sep. 2015.[9]

Gicheru surrendered to the ICC five years later on 2 Nov. 2020[10][11][12] to the Netherlands authorities to answer to the alleged charges of corruptly influencing witnesses of the court. His initial appearance was on 6 Nov. 2020.

On 11 December 2020 the pre-trial chamber severed the cases[13] against Gicheru and Philip Kipkoech Bett. On 1 Feb. 2021[14] Gicheru was released to Kenya with specific conditions restricting liberty. On 15 July 2021, ICC pre-trial Chamber A confirmed the charges of offenses.[15][16][17]

The opening of the trial was on 15 Feb. 2022[18][19] before single judge Miatta Maria Samba. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and the closing statements to the case were made on 27 June 2022.[20][21]

Death

Gicheru died on 26 September 2022 in Nairobi while awaiting a decision[22] from the chamber on whether he was responsible for the scheme to interfere with the ICC case, or not. He was laid to rest on Thursday, 6 October 2022[23][24] at his farm in Kwa Nguku, Bahati sub-county in Nakuru County.

Education

Gicheru schooled at Kasabet Boys between 1987 and 1990 before proceeding to the University of Nairobi to pursue a Bachelor of Law degree. He held a Post Graduate Diploma from Kenya School of Law.

References
  1. Nation, 27 Sep 2022 Lawyer Paul Gicheru is dead
  2. New York Times, 27 Sep 2022 Kenyan Lawyer on Trial at International Criminal Court Is Found Dead
  3. ICC, Case Information Sheet - The Prosecutor v. Paul Gicheru
  4. Citizen Digital, 27 September 2022 The Story Of Lawyer Paul Gicheru; ICC Suspect Found Dead In His Nairobi Home
  5. Washington Post, 27 Sept 2022 Kenyan lawyer in ICC case linked to new president found dead
  6. The-Star, 27 Nov 2022 Who ICC suspect Paul Gicheru was and details of his case
  7. Standard, 27 September 2022 What we know about deceased lawyer Paul Gicheru
  8. ICC Gicheru Case
  9. ICC
  10. ICC, 2 Nov 2020 Situation in Kenya: Paul Gicheru surrenders for allegedly corruptly influencing ICC witnesses
  11. Standard, 2 Nov 2020 Kenyan Lawyer Paul Gicheru Surrenders To ICC 5 Years After Arrest Warrant Was Issued
  12. The Africa Report, 17 Nov 2020 Kenya’s Paul Gicheru surrenders to the ICC: Coincidence or plan?
  13. ICC, 11 Dec 2020 Gicheru and Bett Case: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber A severs cases
  14. ICC, 1 Feb 2021 Paul Gicheru on interim release with conditions in Kenya
  15. ICC, 15 Jul 2021 Paul Gicheru case: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber A confirms charges of offenses against the administration of justice and commits suspect to trial
  16. ICJ, 2 Aug 2021 Kenyan Lawyer Paul Gicheru to stand trial before the ICC
  17. Diplomat Magazine, 15 Jul 2021 ICC Paul Gicheru case
  18. ICC, 15 Feb 2022 Gicheru trial opens at International Criminal Court
  19. The Conversation, 15 Mar 2022 ICC case against Kenyan lawyer Gicheru: it matters, but not for victims of the violence
  20. Nation, 26 Jun 2022 Gicheru, ICC prosecution to pitch final arguments
  21. ICC, 27 Jun 2022 ICC Trial Chamber III to deliberate on the Gicheru case
  22. Nation, 27 Sep 2022 Lawyer Paul Gicheru died while waiting for ICC verdict
  23. Citizen Digital, 6 Thur 2022 Lawyer Paul Gicheru Buried In Nakuru
  24. The-Star, 6 Thur 2022 [PHOTOS Lawyer Gicheru laid to rest at his Nakuru farm]
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