The Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), Serge Brammertz, has said that his office has launched an investigation into genocide fugitive Protais Mpiranya’s illicit funds made from business over the last two decades.

The mechanism took over the work of the now-dissolved International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda among the fugitives and it has the mandate to try Mpiranya.

Brammertz said this on Tuesday June 8 during his presentation of the court’s 18th progress report to the UN Security Council.

Although five other genocide fugitives are still on the run, the court’s focus for the last year has been placed on working with different countries to bring Mpiranya to book.

The five others who include; Fulgence Kayishema, Charles Sikubwabo, Aloys Ndimbati, Charles Ryandikayo and Phénéas Munyarugarama, were referred to Rwanda as the tribunal wound up its activities.

Mpiranya is one of the three so-called ‘Big Fish’ who remained under the jurisdiction of the Mechanism should they be arrested.

The others were Augustin Bizimana, who was recently confirmed dead and Félicien Kabuga who was arrested in Paris on May 16 last year.

The investigation

Brammertz said that Mpiranya, who was the commander of the Presidential Guard during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is being sought to answer for his commanding role in the Genocide.

"We have reason to believe he has also operated business enterprises using illicit funds. Many individuals are likely to have interacted with or learned of him. These persons are of interest to us, and we encourage them to come forward with information about Mpiranya,” he said

He called for cooperation from any person, including Mpiranya’s associates and supporters to provide information leading to his arrest and be rewarded a whopping $5m.

He reminded that his office will provide full protection to anyone with that kind of information but warned that there are consequences for those who refuse to come forward.

"Mpiranya’s accomplices who do not come forward voluntarily will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.

He requested the UN Security Council’s support in bringing the remaining fugitives to book as quickly as possible to enable the tracking activities to finally be brought to an end.

"I know this Council fully shares and supports that goal. As my Office works to resolve the challenges we face, the firm support of the Council will be vital” he said.

Rwanda’s call

The Permanent Representative to the UN, Valentine Rugwabiza has expressed Rwanda’s disappointment over lack of effective cooperation from UN member states to bring Genocide fugitives to justice for the last 27 years.

Rugwabiza called for the Council’s urgent attention to the lack of cooperation calling it the single most important impediment to the completion of the mandate given to IRMCT.

"Let us recall that Rwanda sent out more than 1,000 indictments to countries around the world requesting their cooperation to arrest and prosecution of genocide fugitives or their transfer to Rwanda. Few countries have responded to these indictments,” she said.

Currently, there are 1,145 indictments and international arrest warrants for individuals living in 33 countries worldwide.

Who is Mpiranya?

Despite being a middle-ranking officer, a Major in the ex-Rwandan armed forces, Mpiranya is believed to have been a very influential figure during the Genocide against the Tutsi.

He commanded the Presidential Guard, an elite unit that took immediate charge after the death of former President Juvenal Habyarimana on the night of April 6, 1994, and is blamed for the slaughter of top politicians as the Genocide unfolded.

Among the politicians killed at the onset of the Genocide were then Prime Minister, Agathe Uwilingiyimana, and her security detail of 10 Belgian peacekeepers.

They were slaughtered a few hours after the downing of Habyarimana’s plane blamed on extremist elements within his party and military.

The attack on the former Premier’s home was, according to reports, led by Mpiranya himself.

Mpiranya is one of the subjects of the US Reward for Justice Programme, with a US$5 million bounty on his head.

In September 2012, after years of denial, the Zimbabwean government admitted that Mpiranya could be hiding there and using various assumed names that include Theophase Mahuku and James Kakule to evade arrest.

It was then reported that the fugitive coordinated his business empire then said to also stretch to other countries in that region, from Harare.

He was also said to be closely working with the FDLR for whom he was advisor

Mpiranya is accused of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.