Pre-Trial Chamber A of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Friday set new dates for filing of written submissions after confirmation of charges against Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru.

In a statement released on Monday, the Chamber led by Judge Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou outlined the new dates for the submissions on confirmation of charges proceedings in the case to be done in writing.

Gicheru is suspected of committing offences against the administration of justice by corruptly influencing the court’s witnesses in the case against Deputy President William Ruto.

The Kenyan lawyer was granted an interim release with conditions and returned to Kenya on February 1, 2021.

The new calendar was released by the Chamber following a request by Gicheru’s Defence team for the court to extend the time directed to file its written submissions at the Hague.

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Judge Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou. PHOTO/COURTESY 

In response, the Chamber accepted to postpone the deadlines and outined the following amended dates for the confirmation of charges proceedings:

• The Prosecution shall complete the disclosure of the evidence by 26 April 2021 at the latest;

• The Prosecution and the Defence shall file their written submissions on 30 April 2021 at the latest;

• The Prosecution shall file a response on 7 May 2021 at the latest;

• The Defence shall file a reply on 17 May 2021 at the latest; and

• The Chamber will issue its decision on the confirmation of charges within 60 days of receipt of the Defence’s reply.

The reason for the confirmation of charges hearing is to establish whether there is enough evidence to prove Gicheru committed each of the charges of offences against the administration of justice.

If the ICC charges are confirmed, whether in total or partially, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will then conduct the subsequent trial phase.

The arrest warrant against Gicheru and Philip Kipkoech Bett was issued under seal on March 10, 2015 and unsealed on September 10, 2015 for corruptly influencing ICC witnesses in the Kenya cases related to the 2007 post election violence.

On November 2, 2020, Gicheru surrendered himself to the authorities in The Netherlands and was surrendered to ICC custody on November 3, 2020.

He first appeared before the ICC on November 6, 2020 and on December 11, 2020, the Pre-Trial Chamber A separated the cases against him and Philip Kipkoech Bett.