Last June, Mr Bemba was acquitted of charges of murder, rape and pillaging committed by his private army in the neighbouring Central African Republic in 2002-3. "An innocent man lost 10 years of his life," lawyer Peter Haynes said in a document sent to the ICC. Mr Bemba returned to his homeland after his acquittal but was barred from running for the opposition in Congolese elections because of the bribery conviction. Mr Haynes pointed out that the demand for 68 million euros ($76.5 million) "is just less than half the annual budget of the court". But Mr Haynes said Mr Bemba was willing to donate 22 million euros -- should he be awarded the full compensation -- "to provide reparations to the people of the Central African Republic."

Source: Daily Nation March 11, 2019 14:22 UTC