KIGALI - The High Court yesterday, for the second time, adjourned the trial involving Victoire Umuhoza Ingabire to September, leader of the yet-to-be registered political party FDU-Inkingi, and four others, after the defendant requested for more time to prepare her defence.

The decision by a panel of High Court judges followed another one of May 16 when the case was first adjourned after Ingabire requested for more time.

Ingabire who was flanked by her lawyer Gatera Gashabana, is charged with giving financial support to a terrorist group, planning to cause state insecurity and divisionism.

Ingabire raised the same argument as in previous appearances; that she needed enough time to study her file and also translate it into English for her two British lawyers who were not present in court.

"I did not get enough time to study my file which is now about 2,500 pages. We also need to translate it for my lawyers. I have also come to know that my case will be jointly heard with the co-accused,” she said.

"While they admit the charges, I don’t, which means that I am the one who needs more time, so I think by September we will be ready to file our defence,” Ingabire said.

After a consultative meeting held in-camera, the judges decided to grant Ingabire her request and set the new date.

The judges, however, told Ingabire and her defence to ensure that by September everything is ready for the trial to begin in substance and that if her English lawyers cannot be available, she should look for others because the court sets the rules and not the lawyers.

"We are ready to begin the trial as soon as the defence is fully prepared. Our country respects the rights of the accused to a fair and speedy trial, we have no problem if she feels that September is more appropriate for her,” Prosecutor Mukurarinda said.

"The most important thing is that we are ready to proceed with the evidence that we have and that the rights of the other people involved in the case are dully accorded to them.”

Ingabire’s co-accused Col. Tharcisse Nditurende, Lt. Colonel Noel Habiyaremye, Lt. Jean Marie Vianney Karuta and Major Vital Uwumuremyi, all former militia commanders, and their defence teams, told the court that they were ready to proceed with their trials.

They argued that Ingabire’s request to have her hearing postponed should not infringe on their rights of a quick and expeditious trial, but the court upheld the decision to hear the case jointly.

In an interview with The New Times, Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga said that it is now clear that Ingabire is causing the delay of the hearing of her own case.

"Ingabire asked for yet another adjournment and the Court granted it. Yes, in the past we were accused of delays, but that was not correct as were many other related accusations against the prosecution,”

"We can only go by the court rulings and have no complaints against that,” Ngoga said.

Ends