The Director of External Finance from the Ministry of Finance Jean Jacques Nyirubutama has been acquitted of rape and defilement cases.

Judge Roserine Ntiwahazwa of Nyarugenge Higher Instance Court yesterday ruled that there was no incriminating proof against Nyiributama.

"The court orders that Nyirubutama be released immediately," the presiding judge ruled in a court session attended by among others Nyiributama’s wife and relatives.

Nyiributama has been in prison since mid 2007 battling a defilement case leveled against him by his former house girl.

The house maid, Grace Utabishaka, had alleged that her boss raped her sometime last year when his wife was away.

After the case was reported to police, Nyiributama was subsequently detained pending investigations into the case.

He has been behind bars at Kigali Central Prison known best as ‘1930’ after the same court sent him on provisional detention.

But, the court ruled that there was no enough evidence to convict Nyirubutama. The court cited contradictory information from prosecution witnesses and medical examination vindicating the accused.

Ntiwahazwa said that the tests which were conducted in Belgium and Rwanda showed that there was no sexual intercourse between the 14-year old girl and Nyirubutama.

The case was initially regarded as defilement but was later was amended to rape after some legal procedures because the plaintiff failed to prove her rightful age.

After the verdict, an emotional Nyiributama said: "Justice is real; they carried out investigation and thank God that the truth has been revealed."

He called for expedition of justice arguing that some prisoners were innocent.

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