Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui

Richard Wanekeya,

Correspondent (Africa)

 

HAGUE– 18 December 2012, the Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has dropped all charges that had been leveled against Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ruling on the matter, the chambers’ Presiding Judges made a unanimous decision and also ordered the registrar to take the necessary measures to release him.

In a summary read by the court’s Presiding Judge, Bruno Cotte, it became clear that the evidence brought before the court could not match the standards set by the Rome Statute. “Regardless of the evidence brought before the Chamber as well as the testimonies of witnesses called by the Prosecution, the Defense, the Legal Representatives of Victims and the Chamber itself, it has not been proven beyond reasonable doubt that Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui was the commander of the Lendu combatants from Bedu-Ezekere during the attack against the Bogoro village on 24 February 2003.”

Notably, the Hague based court empathized with the events in Congo on the fateful day saying, “The approach adopted does not mean that, in its opinion, no crimes were committed in Bogoro on 24 February 2003, nor does it question what the people of this community have suffered on that day.”

Additionally, the emphasized stance on the same and reiterated the fact that evidence shapes its rulings. “The fact of deciding that an accused is not guilty does not necessarily mean that the Chamber finds him innocent. Such a decision simply demonstrates that, given the standard of proof, the evidence presented to support his guilt has not allowed the Chamber to form a conviction.”

Ngudjolo was facing three counts of crimes against humanity and seven counts of war crimes which were allegedly committed in the setting of an armed conflict in Ituri, DRC during the attack against the Bogoro village on 24 February 2003.

In a later ruling by the Trial Chamber II, the court dismissed a request by the prosecutor to maintain Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui in detention.