The International Criminal Court (ICC) has dropped charges against Francis Muthaura, a co-accused of Kenya’s presidential election winner Uhuru Kenyatta, the prosecutor has said.

Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told judges Monday she is withdrawing all charges against Kenya’s Cabinet secretary Francis Muthaura, who is charged with crimes in the  deadly violence that erupted after Kenya’s  2007 presidential election.

Muthaura is indicted with Kenyan president-elect Uhuru Kenyatta, but prosecutors argue they have more evidence against Kenyatta and his prosecution should continue.

Francis Muthaura free

Lawyers for Kenya’s president-elect Uhuru Kenyatta hope to persuade judges at an International Criminal Court hearing Monday to order a review of evidence that prosecutors say proves he orchestrated deadly postelection violence.

Kenyatta’s lawyers were to make their legal arguments just days after he won the presidency at Kenya’s first elections since the violence-marred 2007 poll.

Meanwhile ,Ms Bensouda stressed that her decision to withdraw  Mr Muthaura’s charges had no relation to Mr Kenyatta’s election victory.

“My decision today is based only on the specific facts of the case against Mr Muthaura, and not on any other consideration,” she said in a statement.

By UP