Ex-Congolese VP convicted of witness tampering at war crimes
NAN-F-11
Conviction
The Hague, Oct. 20, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) Congolese former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba bribed witnesses to lie in his favour at a war crimes trial that ended in the highest ranking conviction by the International Criminal Court, a report said on Thursday.
The court said 14 key witnesses had been coached about what to say, and found Bemba and four other defendants guilty of conspiring to present false evidence to the court.
Supporters of Bemba, who appealed his conviction and 18-year sentence for overseeing a campaign of rape and murder in Central African Republic more than a decade ago, had no immediate comment.
The court found him guilty in March.
He was convicted him for failing to discipline or restrain his Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) soldiers as they rampaged through the neighbouring country in 2002 and 2003.
As part of a systematic effort to interfere with the trial, Bemba and his team used secret phones and code language to instruct witnesses in exchange for cash.
“He promised to relocate them, to give the witnesses computers and other bribes, the court found.
“No legal system in the world can accept the bribing of witnesses, the inducement of witnesses to lie, or the illicit coaching of witnesses, nor can the ICC.
“Today’s judgment sends the clear message that the court is not willing to allow its proceedings to be hampered or destroyed,” Presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt said.
The court said that those who had been convicted faced jail term of up to five years, or a fine, or both.
According to the report, the judge allowed suspects other than Bemba to remain free pending their sentencing hearings, for which he did not set a date.
“They had cooperated with the court and were not considered a flight risk,’’ the court said.
The four others convicted include Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, a member of Bemba’s legal team; and Fidele Babala Wandu, a politician and close associate of Bemba. (Reuters/NAN)
(OYE)
Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Muhammad Suleiman Tola