General News of Friday, 18 January 2019

Source: Pan African TV

Elvis Botah lambasts the ICC for prosecuting only African leaders

Elvis Botah, Deputy National Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party Elvis Botah, Deputy National Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party

The Deputy National Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Elvis Botah, has taken a swipe at the International Criminal Court over what he claims as frequent prosecution of Africans.

The outspoken NPP Deputy National Organizer said, he looks forward to a day the ICC will probe more into the nefarious activities of the Western leaders, otherwise, it will be deemed a useless entity and toothless bulldog.

He made these comments on Thursday, January 17, 2019 on Pan African Television’s Good Morning Africa hosted by Kwame Owusu Danso.

Speaking on Laurent Gbagbo’s exoneration by the ICC, Mr. Botah criticized the ICC as a body “Perceptually established as a piece of vindictive machinery for African leaders who prove to be gravitas in some of their dealings against issues where particularly western powers have inherent entrenched interest”, he remarked.

In his view, this underscores neo-colonialism in African politics. He also indicated that even though, France and its allies played a crucial role in what happened to the former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, no Western leader has been dragged before the international court yet.

According to the vociferous commentator, the ICC does not seem to stand for peace; adding that “The ICC has got to a point of realization that if care is not taken the only modicum of integrity left on them will be determined by their determination of the Gbagbo’s case”. Elvis Botah indicated that if western leaders who engages in scandalous dealings are not brought before the ICC, then the court is ‘useless’.

Background,/b>

Ex-President Laurent Gbagbo was apprehended in relation to charges of crime against humanity which resulted from post-electoral violence in Ivory Coast. About 3000 people were reported dead.

Nonetheless, the court in The Hague acquitted him and his former youth minister of all charges and ordered their immediate release on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.