War crimes judge to hear case against ex-Congo leader

War crimes prosecutors will lay out their evidence this week against former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, accused of murder, torture and hundreds of cases of rape when his militia intervened in a bloody power struggle in neighbouring Central Africa Republic.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague, in the Netherlands, scheduled four days of pre-trial hearings beginning today to assess whether prosecutors have enough evidence to put Bemba on trial.