Judges at the International Criminal Court Tuesday sentenced former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba to 18 years in jail
Jean-Pierre Bemba
Judges at the International Criminal Court Tuesday sentenced former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba to 18 years in jail for a series of brutal rapes and murders in Central African Republic over a decade ago.
"The chamber sentences Mr Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo to a total of 18 years of imprisonment," said judge Sylvia Steiner, ruling that the former militia leader had failed to exercise control over his private army sent into CAR in late October 2002 where they carried out "sadistic" rapes, murders and pillaging of "particular cruelty."
Chelsea doctorEva Carneirosettled her sex discrimination claim for what is believed to be more than £1.2m against the club shortly after sacked managerJose Mourinho arrived at the tribunal Dr Carneiro, 42, who previously rejected a £1.2million offer, withdrew her claim.
She resigned from the club in December after an on-pitch outburst from Mourinho, 53, where she claimed he called hera "daughter of a whore"in Portuguese.
She was then banned from he first team bench and demoted to working with the ladies team. Mourinho, now Manchester United manager and dressed in blue shirt, black tie and grey trousers, made a surprise arrival, having not been asked to appear for cross-examination until Monday.
In a statement Chelsea said that they were pleased to settle the case and apologised "unreservedly to her and her family for the distress caused."
Carneiro issued a statement of her own, expressing her relief at resolving the case.
"It has been an extremely difficult and distressing time for me and my family and I now look forward to moving forward with my life," she said.
Mourinho signed into the building in Croydon, which was covered in a thick blanket of dark grey clouds, under the name "Felix Jose" shortly before a downpour of rain and blasts of thunder and lighting.
The hearing was delayed by an hour-and-half but then it was announced they had settled. Dr Carneiro, dressed in high heels and a black dress, was expected to have been cross-examined by Mourinho and Chelsea's lawyer, Daniel Stilitz QC today.
But instead Mr Stilitz asked for the claim to be withdrawn.
He said:
"The position is that ladies and witnesses are ready to go but we are please to be able to tell the tribunal the parties have reached a settlement in this dispute in confidential terms.
"The order we ask for is that the case is dismissed and is withdrawn."
Dr Carneiro's lawyer, Mary O'Rourke QC, added:
"That's correct. As far as Dr Carneiro's concerned we are going to issue a press statement."
Tribunal judge Andrew Freer thanked the parties for resolving the issue.
The settlement came a day after Chelsea's legal team painted Carneiro as money and fame-hungry in its skeleton argument.
The doctor, who was earning £286,000 a year, turned down an offer of £1.2m and took the club and Mourinho to Croydon Employment Tribunal.
Mourinho, who was later sacked after a string of poor performances, denied he shouted the phrase - "filha da puta" to "denigrate" the doctor in a sexist fashion.
He instead claimed he said "filho de puta", meaning son of a bitch, in general terms to vent his frustration.
Mourinho criticised Dr Carneiro and physiotherapist Jon Fearn and they were dropped from first-team duties following Chelsea's draw in the Premier League with Swansea City on August 8, 2015.
The medics went onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard after twice being summoned by the referee, which meant the club were left with nine men after goalkeeper Thibaut Cortois had already been sent off.
It was the last time Dr Carneiro appeared on the first-team bench and she later left the club but Mr Fearn continues to be employed by Chelsea.
Dr Carneiro was suing the club for constructive dismissal, unfair dismissal under health and safety laws, sex discrimination and harassment.
She was suing Mourinho for sex discrimination and harassment. Both respondents deny the allegations.
An Ado Ekiti Magistrate’s court on Monday remanded a 21- year old man, Olarewanju Olorunfemi and a female accomplice Sadiat Akeem, 18 for carrying out an aportion leading to the death of an 18-year-old Fumbi Taiwo.
The police prosecutor, Sgt. Caleb Leranmo, told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 25 at Ilawe Ekiti in Ekiti South West Local Government Area of Ekiti state.
He alleged that Olorunfemi was the boyfriend of the deceased while Akeem was her friend.
According to him,the accused persons committed an offence contrary to Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap C 16, Laws of Ekiti State. 2012.
He added that he had duplicated and sent their case file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
The plea of the accused were not taken as their counsel, Mr Tunde Olayemi, sought for a date of adjournment pending the advice of DPP.
Magistrate Ropo Adegboye consequently ordered the remand of the duo in prison and adjourned the case till June 22 for further hearing.
Four security guards, who allegedly stole the sum of N500,000 from a tithe box, were on Monday brought before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accused, who pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and stealing, are Amos Danjuma, 20; Taiwo Akintola, 39; Bright Innocent, 28; and Tajudeen Shoni, 64.
The prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odigie, told the court that the accused committed the offences on January 25, at about 4am.
Odigie said the accused conspired to steal N500,000 from the tithe box belonging to Ascension Anglican Church at Alasia bus stop, Badore Road, Eti-Osa, Lagos.
“They were guards employed to secure the church. The first and second accused persons were on night duty while the third and fourth were on morning duty,” he said.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 309 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Counsel for the accused, Mr. Ademola Owolabi, applied for their bail in liberal terms.
The magistrate, Mr. L. A. Owolabi, granted each of the accused N50,000 bail with two sureties each in like sum. He adjourned the case till March 22 for hearing.
An Egypt court on Thursday sentenced three Christian teenagers to five years in jail for contempt of Islam after they were seen in a video mocking Muslim prayers.
A judge in the central Egyptian province also sent a fourth defendant, aged 15, to a juvenile detention centre for an indefinite period.
The defence lawyer said the four had not intended to insult Islam in the video, but merely to mock the beheading carried out by jihadists.
The video was filmed on a mobile phone in January 2015 when the three teenagers who were sentenced to five years were aged between 15 and 17.
Their teacher who is also seen in the video has already been sentenced to three years in jail.
The four teenagers had not yet been arrested as of Thursday and the defence lawyer said he planned to appeal the judgement.
A man, Friday James has been convicted of armed robbery and has been sentenced to death by hanging.
The convict, was said to have robbed his victim, Olanrewaju of her jewellery worth about N100,000.
The criminal, was said to be armed
with a gun and a machete which he used to attack and inflicte injuries on victims husband’s head and hands with his weapons.
The prosecutor, Mr. Akin George,
told the court that the man committed the crime on February 17, 2012 in the Ikeja, the capital of Lagos.
According to the prosecutor, the crime was contrary to Section 297 Criminal law of Lagos State 2011, and Section 295 (2) (a).
The trial judge, on Tuesday found James guilty on the two counts pressed against him by the state and was sentenced to death by hanging.
