On 20 February 2019, Pre-Trial Chamber II decided to join the cases of The Prosecutor v. Alfred Yekatom and The Prosecutor v. Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona.
In the Chamber’s view, joint proceedings against Mr Yekatom and Mr Ngaïssona will serve to enhance the fairness and expeditiousness of the proceedings by avoiding the duplication of evidence, inconsistency in the presentation and assessment of evidence, undue impact on witnesses and victims, and unnecessary expense. In joint cases, each suspect shall be accorded the same rights as if such suspect were being tried separately.
The Chamber scheduled the hearing on the confirmation of the charges in the (joint) case of Prosecutor v. Alfred Yekatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona for 18 June 2019.
The purpose of the confirmation of charges hearing is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged. If the charges are confirmed, the person will be committed to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings: the trial.
