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

Paul Gicheru Njoroge (28 November 1972 – 26 September 2022) was a Kenyan lawyer and qualified advocate of the High Court of Kenya who was accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) 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 charges of bribery and corruptly inducing witnesses to interfere with justice. He died while awaiting a decision in the case.[1]

Early life and career

Gicheru was born on 28 November 1972 in Nandi District, Kenya.[2] He was 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 postgraduate diploma from Kenya School of Law.

Gicheru[3][4] 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.

International Criminal Court case

In March 2010, the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s Pre-trial chamber II opened an investigation into the political violence that occurred in Kenya after the 2007 Kenyan general election. A letter of arrest for Gicheru and Philip Kipkoech Bett was issued five years later on 10 March 2015 and unsealed on 10 September 2015.[5]

Gicheru surrendered to the ICC five years later on 2 November 2020[6][7][8] to the Netherlands authorities to answer to the alleged charges of corruptly influencing witnesses of the court. His initial appearance was on 6 November 2020.

On 11 December 2020 the pre-trial chamber severed the cases against Gicheru and Philip Kipkoech Bett.[9] On 1 February 2021[10] Gicheru was released to Kenya with specific conditions restricting liberty. On 15 July 2021, ICC pre-trial Chamber A confirmed the charges of offenses.[11][12][13]

The opening of the trial was on 15 February 2022[14][15] 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.[16][17]

Death

Gicheru died at his house in Karen, Nairobi, on 26 September 2022.[18][19] He was awaiting a decision[20] from the chamber on whether he was responsible for the scheme to interfere with the ICC case, or not. His lawyer suspected foul play and asked for an investigation.[1] He was buried on 6 October 2022 at his family farm in Kwa Nguku, Bahati sub-county in Nakuru County. [21][22]

References

  1. 1 2 Walsh, Declan (27 September 2022). "Kenyan Lawyer on Trial at International Criminal Court Is Found Dead". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Case Information Sheet. Situation in Kenya. The Prosecutor v. Paul Gicheru". International Criminal Court. June 2022. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023.
  3. ↑ The-Star, 27 Nov 2022 Who ICC suspect Paul Gicheru was and details of his case
  4. ↑ Standard, 27 September 2022 What we know about deceased lawyer Paul Gicheru
  5. ↑ "Gicheru Case". International Criminal Court. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023.
  6. ↑ ICC, 2 Nov 2020 Situation in Kenya: Paul Gicheru surrenders for allegedly corruptly influencing ICC witnesses
  7. ↑ Standard, 2 Nov 2020 Kenyan Lawyer Paul Gicheru Surrenders To ICC 5 Years After Arrest Warrant Was Issued
  8. ↑ The Africa Report, 17 Nov 2020 Kenya’s Paul Gicheru surrenders to the ICC: Coincidence or plan?
  9. ↑ ICC, 11 Dec 2020 Gicheru and Bett Case: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber A severs cases
  10. ↑ ICC, 1 Feb 2021 Paul Gicheru on interim release with conditions in Kenya
  11. ↑ 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
  12. ↑ ICJ, 2 Aug 2021 Kenyan Lawyer Paul Gicheru to stand trial before the ICC
  13. ↑ Diplomat Magazine, 15 Jul 2021 ICC Paul Gicheru case
  14. ↑ ICC, 15 Feb 2022 Gicheru trial opens at International Criminal Court
  15. ↑ The Conversation, 15 Mar 2022 ICC case against Kenyan lawyer Gicheru: it matters, but not for victims of the violence
  16. ↑ Nation, 26 Jun 2022 Gicheru, ICC prosecution to pitch final arguments
  17. ↑ ICC, 27 Jun 2022 ICC Trial Chamber III to deliberate on the Gicheru case
  18. ↑ Citizen Digital, 27 September 2022 The Story Of Lawyer Paul Gicheru; ICC Suspect Found Dead In His Nairobi Home
  19. ↑ Washington Post, 27 Sept 2022 Kenyan lawyer in ICC case linked to new president found dead
  20. ↑ Oyango K'Oynango (27 September 2022). "Lawyer Paul Gicheru died while waiting for ICC verdict". Nation. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022.
  21. ↑ Maryanne Nyambura (6 October 2022). "Lawyer Paul Gicheru Buried In Nakuru". Citizen Digital. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022.
  22. ↑ The-Star, 6 Thur 2022 [PHOTOS] Lawyer Gicheru laid to rest at his Nakuru farm
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