This is after the prosecution led by Fatou Bensouda said it was not prepared to call its first witness. The witness in question, who was not named, was suppose to have started to give his evidence today, Wednesday 11th September.
Telling the court why it was not able to call its first witness, the prosecution said the witness was traveling and would get to the ICC on Thursday and therefore asked the court to allow them bring in the witness on Tuesday.
The prosecution has lined up 22 witness to testify in the Ruto and Sang' case and their identity has been safeguarded by the prosecution especially after the massive withdrawal of witnesses from the prosecution side.
On Wednesday, the hearing is set to begin with the opening statement from Kipchumpa Katwa Kigen, Mr. Sang's lead Defence Counsel after which the ICC will take a short break until Tuesday next week.
Speaking on the prosecution's witnesses hitch, Ruto's lead Defence Counsel Karim Khan said, “As this case unravels, witnesses are not here, they have withdrawn. The case will be adjourned tomorrow until Tuesday for want of prosecution witnesses. I don’t want your honours or anybody in this courtroom or watching, to be under any illusion why those witnesses have withdrawn or dropped or don’t come.”
“There is a rotten underbelly in this case which the prosecutor has swallowed hook, line and sinker, indifferent to the truth all too eager to latch on to any account, any version, any story that somehow tips the box in relation to putting forward a summons or a confirmation hearing. No semblance to reality at all,” Khan added.
Most of the witnesses the prosecution was relying on have since recanted their statements leaving it in an awkward position in trying to prove its case before the judges.
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