By John Stephen Katende

5^th March 2012:

FILE PHOTO: Ex-LRA Spokesman Matsanga

The International Criminal Court [ICC] Chief Prosecutor has threatened to request the arrest of the controversial ex-LRA man Mr. David Matsanga after the latter sensationally claimed that a witness had recanted his evidence to him.

According to the Kenyan daily newspaper the Nairobi Star of Saturday, March 3, Matsanga convened an “international press conference” at Nairobi’s Norfolk Hotel last Friday and claimed that he had tracked down Ocampo’s anonymous witness number four to a foreign country.

The witness had then allegedly recanted the evidence that he gave to the Waki Commission against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former Civil Service boss Francis Muthaura. Matsanga is a former spokesman for LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe.

Matsanga insisted he was just working as an African investigative journalist and was not funded by anyone including the four Ocampo suspects.  “…It is our duty of protection not to make public or comment on the identity of OTP witnesses. Our reaction to these events will be judicial,” the ICC is reported to have said in a statement.

The ICC added:  “…We will investigate who is trying to tamper with potential witnesses and we will request appropriate measures, including arrests. Do not expect us to debate these issues in the media,” the statement said.

In his press conference, Matsanga claimed the ICC had sent him an email threatening him and asking him to remove from the website the video recording of the alleged witness recanting the statements.  “…If I am going to be censured for this, then let it be.  If they want to enjoin me in the case, let them do so and I will be ready to be enjoined. I hate Ocampo and this time round I have found him,” Matsanga Kenyan Journalists.

Matsanga said the witness contacted him and asked him to tell the court that he had lied on most of the statements about Uhuru and Muthaura. He provided journalists with the copies of sworn affidavits by the alleged witness.  Asked how he knew that the man was witness number four, Matsanga angrily told journalists to read through the dossier. He said he had also “checked with other people”.

Matsanga also gave out copies of video interviews with the alleged witness.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.