Rwanda: Agent of the security services testified before the court during Mrs. Victoire Ingabire trial

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Rwanda: Agent of the security services testified before the court during Mrs. Victoire Ingabire trial

Kigali, May 24, 2013.

On Wednesday May 24 2013, the trial against FDU-Inkingi Chair, Mrs. Victoire Ingabire, resumed at the Supreme Court Headquarters. The defence witness AA finished answering questions from the prosecution. Afterwards, the court heard another witness whose names are Angelus Rwamamara who was also called to the bar by the court so that he can clarify some issues that were raised by the defence witness who was nicknamed AA for security reasons. In her testimony, the defence witness AA told the court that it was Mr. Angelus Rwamamara, currently employed by the Department of Military Intelligence (DMI) of the Kigali regime, who called by phone and talked to people in Kigali who then hired Mr. Vital Uwumuremyi, whose nickname was PPU-Dean, and entrusted him with the plan to accuse Mrs. Victoire Ingabire of collaboration with the FDLR armed group. When such a malicious plan was finalized Mr. Vital Uwumuremyi was awarded a check in the amount of 3,00,000 Rwandan Francs.

The aforesaid soldier of the DMI denied the fact that he currently works for the DMI and stressed that he doesn't even know what DMI is. He attested that he currently works for Rwanda's ground forces. However, when he was asked to hand over his military ID card he couldn't find it. He instead displayed his health insurance card. With regard to several responses that he gave to the court and in response to questions from other people in the court, the witness corroborated several issues that were already raised by the defence witness AA. He confirmed that he indeed knew her but denied the fact that he was aware of such a mission that was entrusted to Mr. Vital Uwumuremyi with the ultimate goal of accusing Mrs. Victoire Ingabire.

The court was also informed about another letter that was sent to the prosecution by the husband of the defence witness AA. In his letter, the husband of AA declared that he was ready to demonstrate to the court that his wife was briefed by the defence counsel of Mrs. Victoire Ingabire.

As soon as the defence witness AA finished reading her husband's letter, which was handed over to all of the plaintiffs and the defendants, she straight forwardly told the court that her husband could not say anything about this issue because everything took place when he was still in prison.

Before the end of the court session, the defence witness AA asked the court to grant her the authorization to return to her home so that she can see her children. She also told the court that she has no longer confidence in her security given the fact that her husband is involved in such harmful writings against her.

The court decided that the trial will resume on June 3 and 4, 2013 with the hearing of the husband of the defence witness AA, namely, Gerubard Kayiranga who, while in the court hearing today, was proudly boasting to the people who were sitting next to him that he was ready to harm his wife because of the testimony she gave to the court. He also said that he is not afraid of prison and that he was ready to return there should it be necessary.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of FDU-Inkingi, Mr. Sylvain Sibomana, and his colleague, Dominique Shyirambere, were summoned by the High Court of Kigali for the appeal hearing trial on their provisional detention, which is set for hearing on May 27, 2013. The summons came in after the court had ignored their request to appeal for their 30 day provisional detention according to the court's decision of May 10, 2013.  When these 30 days expired, the prosecution failed to request neither the additional provisional detention nor their release. As a consequence, they are currently illegally detained. On top of being illegally detained, the inmates were subjected to ill-treatments including denial of fundamental rights that are granted to other prisoners, such as solitary confinement in police cell, beating and denial of medical treatment. Another evidence of such a persecution is the recent suspicious transfer of Mr. Sylvain Sibomana to Muhanga prison while the Intermediary Court of Gasabo had decided that Mr. Sylvain Sibomana must be imprisoned in Remera prison. This is another evidence of what we have always claimed that the Rwanda's judiciary system is not independent especially because court's decisions are ignored and/or changed by other institutions as they wish.

The party FDU-Inkingi strongly requests that the defence witness AA be granted enhanced security, especially because this witness has said that she has serious concerns about her security. Such security concerns are understandable because her husband was incited against her because she told the truth about what really happened. This fact may also threaten her security at the hands of her husband.

FDU-Inkingi
Boniface Twagirimana
Interim Vice-President