By Susan Kendi
Judges of the appeals chamber at the International Criminal Court will settle with finality the question of what sentence to mete out on Jean-Pierre Bemba and two others in a witness interference case.
The ICC’s Public Affairs Unit announced on Friday that the Appeals Chamber will issue an appeals judgments on Bemba’s verdict and sentence on 8 June 2018
A cross- appeal by Bemba on the one hand and prosecutors on the other challenges a March 21, 2018 Trial Chamber decision and the June 21, 2016 sentence, respectively.
On March 8, 2018 the appeals chamber unanimously reversed the convictions of Bemba, his lawyers Aimé Kilolo Musamba and Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo for presenting false evidence. It then confirmed the remaining convictions by the Trial Chamber regarding the giving of false testimony and corruptly influencing witnesses, as well as the convictions entered by the Trial Chamber in respect of Mr Fidèle Babala Wandu and Mr Narcisse Arido for the same offences.
The appeals chamber acquitted Bemba, Kilolo and Mangenda of presenting false or forged evidence but confirmed the sentences for Arido and Babala.
The Appeals Chamber found that the Trial Chamber committed a series of errors with respect to the sentences pronounced against Bemba, Mangenda and Kilolo and reversed them, referring the matter back to for a new determination.
