Reports reaching Kenya Today indicates the ICC has removed Nigerian Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji whom a section of the prosecution had felt uncomfortable with in the case Prosecutor Vs Uhuru Kenyatta.
Osuji, under whose watch Uhuru’s case has nearly collapsed, has consistently sided with President Uhuru in rulings which his critics argued weakened the case against Kenyatta, who is accused over the post-election violence which rocked Kenya in 2007 elections.
Here is further information from the ICC Website.
Kenyatta case: Judge Geoffrey A. Henderson to replace Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji in Trial Chamber V(b)
ICC-CPI-20140130-PR980
Situation: The Republic of Kenya
Case: The Prosecutor v. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta
On 30 January 2014, the Presidency of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to reconstitute Trial Chamber V(b) in the case The Prosecutor v. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, following the request of Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji. As of 1 February 2014, Judge Geoffrey A. Henderson will replace Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji on the bench.
Geoffrey A. Henderson (Trinidad and Tobago) was elected during the twelfth session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute (ASP) in November 2013 for a term that will run until 10 March 2021. He was sworn in on 12 December 2013 at a ceremony held at the seat of the Court in The Hague (Netherlands).
Trial Chamber V(b) will hence be composed of Judge Kuniko Ozaki, Judge Robert Fremr, and Judge Geoffrey A. Henderson.
Background: Mr Kenyatta is charged, as an indirect co-perpetrator, with five counts of crimes against humanity consisting of murder, deportation or forcible transfer, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts allegedly committed during the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007-2008. Charges were confirmed on 23 January 2012, and the case was committed to trial before Trial Chamber V(b). The trial commencement date of 5 February 2014 was vacated by the Chamber on 23 January 2014 and a status conference will be held on 5 February 2014 to address the issues raised by the parties and participants in relation to the Prosecution request for a 3-month adjournment