Kenyan lawyer denies witness tampering at ICC

A Kenyan lawyer, Paul Gicheru, has gone on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, accused of bribing and intimidating prosecution witnesses.

Mr Gicheru said he was not guilty of derailing an earlier trial at which Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto was accused of fomenting election violence 14 years ago.

More than 1,000 people died in the unrest. That case collapsed through lack of evidence, but the ICC declined to acquit the deputy president of charges of mass murder and persecution.

A BBC correspondent says the outcome of Mr Gicheru’s case could have ramifications for Mr Ruto as he decides whether to be a presidential candidate for August’s election.