The trial of Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Ble Goude resumed on Monday 17 October in The Hague. A new witness appeared to testify. This is Metche Metchro Moise Harold Fabrizio, already witness in the trial of Simone Gbagbo last July.
By Camille Dubruelh source: Ivory-Justice
After long discussions in closed session about the safety of the witness, the Chamber issued its decision in late morning on Monday. The request to grant protective measures demanded by the prosecution and the witness himself was rejected.Reason: it has already publicly filed at the trial of Simone Gbagbo, speaking also to the Ivorian press. If his statements have earned him "unpleasant publications on Facebook," "insults and threats" remained without consequences. Thus, nothing justifies the establishment of special measures that the House would "benefit of attracting attention to the witness."Metche Metchro Fabrice Harold Moses therefore appeared briefly unmasked this afternoon before the Court.
"Accused of very serious crimes"
The man testifies under Article 74 of the Rome Statute on self-incrimination and therefore enjoys legal advice. As recalled Judge Cuno Tarfusser, according to this article, the witness can not be used directly or indirectly against him in the proceedings before the ICC. The only exception, if the witness were to make a false testimony, considered a "punishable offense". ? "We want to hear the facts. Your duty is to tell the truth, "stressed the president of the House.
Taking note of the refusal to grant protective measures, counsel for the witness for his part called for an adjournment in order to have time to talk with his client to behave during interrogations. "In Ivory Coast, he is accused of very serious crimes," said the legal advice, fearing apparently that his testimony could be used against him in the context of national procedures. Indeed, the witness who was described in the trial of Simone Gbagbo as the two former number of the Group of Patriots for Peace (GPP), "a paramilitary force" pro-Gbagbo, is charged with "murder". He is being held in Côte d'Ivoire.
The GPP "betrayal begets blood," the witness says
Genesis GPP, transformation, organization, hierarchy and links with political power, such were the topics discussed by the witness on Tuesday 18 October. Asked by the prosecution, Metche Metchro Moise Harold Fabrice is first returned to the creation of the paramilitary group by Charles Groguhet in October 2002, following the attempted coup. Stated goal: "Dealing with the rebellion and support the defense and security forces (FDS)," says the witness.
According to him, a recruiting young civilians "true power" has been launched and in November he himself joined the group, then called "Young Riders". Led by members of the regular army, the new elements received training in handling weapons (AK 47), tactical movement and learning the discipline. At the time, two figures ran the paramilitary group: You Zagpa for the military and Groguhet Charles, who was "the bridge with politics," in the words of the witness, especially with "Charles Ble Goude."
March 23, 2003, following a conclave of the Patriotic Galaxy, the GPP is officially launched, says Moise Metche Metchro Harold Fabrice. Moussa Toure Zeguen, which, according to the witness, he also maintained close contact "with the patriotic galaxy led by Charles Ble Goude," then became head of the group. The named Jeff Fada (Jean-Francois Kouassi) is responsible for its part of the military aspects, coordinating the activities of GPP via the general Sako, to the General Staff of the army. In the words of the witness, at that time, some 800 members of the GPP are then confined to the Institut Marie Therese Adjamé. They enjoy several benefits, food and per diem of 40,000 CFA, food being provided by the General Staff to Jeff Fada and per diem recovered by Toure Moussa Zeguen from Charles Ble Goude.
"Relations between the GPP and power have become unofficial"
But from 2006, "the relationship between the GPP and power have become informal," says the witness. "We had to keep a low profile," he says, noting the loss of certain privileges. At issue: reports abuses committed by elements of the GPP relayed by the international press. "Certain behaviors could interfere politically," says the witness. Moreover, clashes with police led to the relocation of the paramilitary group to another base. The latter would be installed farther from the city, Azito on land lent by Philippe Mangou. At that time, the group still has the mission to supply the security forces, particularly in the context of specific transactions. This is mainly to conduct searches in mosques and private homes to find weapons caches. But relations with the population Azito are far from being the brother-fixed, notably because of regular extortion by the GPP, in the words of the witness. Thus, clashes broke out in November 2006 and the paramilitary group must leave.
Another milestone in the history of GPP: the agreement DDR (disarmament, demobilization, reintegration) in 2007. According to the witness, the group has not been officially dissolved but the elements of making a "symbolic disarmament new Akouédo camp. " The set hierarchy, relaying the central power would have been: the GPP will disarm when the rebels be disarmed. At that time according to the witness, the GPP had about 30,000 members and a number of them were integrated into the SDS following the DDR process. But the GPP would have continued to exist, despite some tensions at the level of the hierarchy. The witness explained that there was then a "two-headed" between Yoko Yoko Bernard Bouazo and Moussa Toure Zeguen, the latter being held responsible for the indiscipline of its components and challenged within his group, accused of corruption. The case was finally settled in the office of defense minister in September 2009. "Zeguen said he was going out to Bouazo" said the witness. Faithful of the second, the witness says he joined his side in 2009 based Adjamé, becoming Chief of Staff Assistant to the GPP.
At that time, the group, which had about 18,000 members, had several bases, having a "strategy of being present in every town" of Abidjan. The items were not paid in the words of the witness, but continued to receive food. To receive enough to feed his troops, Bernard Bouazo "addressed a letter to the secretariat of the First Lady" and "received a favorable return," says the witness.
Before being suspended the hearing, the prosecution sought clarification from Metche Metchro Moise Harold Fabrice on the loyalty code of GPP. "Submission, submission, implementation prior claim. Betrayal begets blood, "recited the witness.The latter said that within the paramilitary group, the execution of an order could not be debated, even if it was illegal under "pain of serious consequences." The former number 2 of GPP held gave an example of these "consequences", telling the story of one of the elements suspected of "aiding the enemy". While the leaders were discussing the fate of this man, the next day, he "would have slipped off the balcony," being killed in "accident", according to the witness.
