Chief Prosecutor Leaves Special Court, Tells Leaveers

Special Court Chief Prosecutor David Schwendiman through a statement to the media has shown the reasons for his departure from The Hague in April, which comes due to the expiration of his appointment for the three-year term as High Foreign Service Officer at the US State Department.

Schwendiman will leave the Special Prosecutor's Office on March 31st of this year when he will also expire.

This should happen because the American administration cannot make an exception for my status as a pensioner regained in service, something that the law does not allow me to change, no matter how much I may wish to stay”, it says in its statement.

Among other things, in the statement, Schwendiman made it clear that he is not resigning or resigning and that his quick departure does not present a change in politics or commitment to the work of the US Specialised Prosecutor's Office, the European Union or the international community in general.

“On the contrary, the speed at which the European Union has reacted to start looking for the newly specialised Prosecutor shows the power of his support, as did the comprehensive response just weeks ago to the attempt to abolish the law that had created the Specialised Chambers and the Specialised Prosecutor's Office showed international determination and support for us,” he said.

The worst bar in any prosecutor's office is carried by office personnel and not by the manager running” and added that this will not be changed to the Prosecutor's Office Specialised”.

My task as Special Prosecutor is to assign policies, run the job, and ensure that those who do the job have the resources and support they need to do the job,” said Mr. Schwendiman, pointing out that he put the Prosecutor's Office on a sustainable path, helped recruit an extraordinary staff, assured that the office has received the necessary resources, and worked with the international community to get the support needed to do the job.

Kwai Hong Ip, Swedi's deputy, will take over as acting acting acting prosecutor.

Schwediman also had a very clear message about the investigations he heads.

“None of those responsible for the crimes involved in the mandate of the Specialised Prosecutor's Office and Specialised Chambers should think for a moment that my departure has nothing to do with a lack of commitment to investigations.

A key principle of our work has always been our individual responsibility by holding people responsible for their deeds, for what our work has never been to change history or to separate certain groups for punishment.

This will not be changed either when a new specialised prosecutor takes over the post,” he said.

He also made it clear that those who are affected by the crimes involved in the “mandate have every reason to continue to believe in the work we have done, we are doing now or will do in the future. ”

“The determination of those working in the Specialised Prosecutor's Office will not be influenced only by what I will be replaced,” he said, adding that “anyone coming after me would be just as committed to doing the job right and as fast as possible. ”

Schwendiman was appointed specialised prosecutor in September 2016 after serving as chief prosecutor of the Special Investigative Task Force since May 2015.

In his more than five decades-long career, he performed duties in Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam, and spent many years in Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina.