Kenyan lawyer charged in bribery case at ICC found dead at home

Nairobi  — A Kenyan lawyer charged at the International Criminal Court with bribing witnesses in the collapsed trial of President William Ruto six years ago has died, Kenyan media reported on Tuesday.

Citizen Television and Standard Newspapers reported that Paul Gicheru had been found dead at his home in Nairobi’s Karen area, citing information from police.

The cause of his death was not immediately known. Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In February, Gicheru denied bribing prosecution witnesses in the case against Ruto and his co-accused, broadcaster Joshua Sang, who were both charged with fomenting ethnic violence after a disputed 2007 election in which 1,200 people died.

Sang and Ruto — who was sworn in as president earlier in September — denied the charges.

ICC judges ruled in 2016 that the two had no case to answer, but left the door open to possible fresh charges in future, saying that the case had been hampered by political interference and threats against witnesses.

Gicheru had been charged with eight counts of offences against the administration of justice. He faced a maximum of five years in prison or a fine if convicted.

Reuters