The leader of a faction of PS-Imberakuri, Bernard Ntaganda, was on Friday handed a four-year jail term by the High Court, on charges of organising an illegal gathering.. He is found guilty of threatening state security and inciting ethnic divisionism. He will also pay Rwf 100,000.

Ntaganda was not present during the reading, but four of his co-accused, were present in court.

Presiding judge Pie Mugabo told court that Alice Muhirwa, one of them, was cleared of charges of organising an illegal gathering. But three others – Martin Ntavuka, Sylvain Sibomana, and Jean Baptiste Icyitonderwa, were each fined Rwf 100,000.

Prosecution had earlier suggested that Ntaganda get a much higher sentence of 10 years and two months.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga, told reporters that "we believe we had a good case based on the evidence.”

"people who hide under the banner of politics to send us back into the kind of politics we have been fighting against, will not be tolerated,” he warned.

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