The National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) has obtained new evidence implicating Paul Rusesabagina in financing terror activities. Speaking to The New Times, Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga said that the new evidence confirms earlier proof that the self-exiled politician has been financing the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Evidence obtained include numerous email correspondences between Rusesabagina and Providence Rubingisa, a Rwandan based in the United States, and top FDLR commanders discussing plans to cause insecurity in Rwanda.
The National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) has obtained new evidence implicating Paul Rusesabagina in financing terror activities.
Speaking to The New Times, Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga said that the new evidence confirms earlier proof that the self-exiled politician has been financing the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Evidence obtained include numerous email correspondences between Rusesabagina and Providence Rubingisa, a Rwandan based in the United States, and top FDLR commanders discussing plans to cause insecurity in Rwanda.
"We have continued to investigate Rusesabagina and have recently uncovered documents that actually reveal discussions on how to continue providing material support to FDLR, including weapons, and explicit conversations on causing insecurity in Rwanda to discredit the government of Rwanda.”
Rusesabagina has been linked to Western Union money transfers to the FDLR, which were forwarded to law enforcement agencies in the US and Belgium. Belgian Police in June questioned Rusesabagina in the presence of a rogatory committee from Rwanda.
Ngoga said that Rwanda is contemplating the next step in Belgium which may likely be initiating a process that could lead to possible prosecution in Belgium, since Rusesabagina is a Belgian national, adding that Rwanda would find no problem with that.
The US State Department lists ALIR, which changed names to FDLR, on the list of terrorist organisations and has indicated that it is "an administrative error” not to have FDLR on the list.
Some of the FDLR commanders that Rusesabagina has communicated with have since been arrested and are charged alongside terrorism suspect, Victoire Ingabire.
Last year in October, the Prosecution revealed that Rusesabagina sent funds through Western Union to two FDLR top commanders. The funds were meant for recruiting fighters for a new terrorist organization known as Coalition of Democratic forces (CDF) which would form a military wing of the FDU-Inkingi led by Ingabire.
Ngoga said that legally, the issue isn’t about US not having the name FDLR on the list of terrorist organisations but rather the threat posed by the group, confirmed by the fact that FDLR’s top leaders of FDLR are currently on trial at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
"There are several UN Security Council resolutions that categorise FDLR as a terrorist organisation that is being fought and must be fought by the International community.”
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