The legal team representing the alleged former Commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel’s Sinia Brigade, Dominic Ongwen, will have 4 hours and 30 minutes to save him from going to jail for life as his trail enters its final phase.
Ongwen who is facing 70 charges for his alleged role in the attack on four camps meant for Internally Displaced Persons in northern Uganda risk facing between 30 years or life imprisonment if found guilty.
His lawyers led by Krispus Odong Ayena are set to appear before the judges International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague on March 12, to convince the judges to drop all the charges against their client.
In June 2018, Ayena asked court to acquit Ongwen of at least some of the charges against him. Ayena said this in a request on July 5 to Trial Chamber IX to allow him to file a no case to answer and judgement for acquittal motion.
Odongo made the request because the ICC’s founding law, the Rome Statute, does not have a specific provision allowing such a motion. However, the judges dismissed his application.
Later, Ongwen’s legal team presented 54 defence witnesses in an attempt to persuade the judges to find the former warlord not guilty.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is however expected to argue before the judges at The Hague that Dominic Ongwen should be convicted of all the charges brought against him.
Ms Bensouda is expected to make her closing statement in the trial of Ongwen today before the judges sitting at Trial Chamber IX.
