Prosecution unearths more evidence against Ingabire

The prosecution has discovered new evidence from the Netherlands pinning Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, the embattled leader of the yet-to-be-registered political party, FDU-Inkingi, who yesterday reappeared before the High Court in Kigali.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza.

The prosecution has discovered new evidence from the Netherlands pinning Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, the embattled leader of the yet-to-be-registered political party, FDU-Inkingi, who yesterday reappeared before the High Court in Kigali. Before the evidence could be disclosed in court, Ingabire objected, requesting the presiding judge, Alice Rulisa, to give her more time to review the evidence. "I got a copy of this evidence implicating me last week… I request to be granted one month to go through the document and prepare my defence,” Ingabire told court.Ingabire faces terrorism charges with the prosecution alleging that she collaborated with senior members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) to form a military wing known as Coalition of Defence Forces (CDF), to destabilise the country She is also accused of promoting ethnic divisionism, propagating the genocide ideology and trivialising the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.The prosecution team made up of national prosecutors Bonaventure Ruberwa and Alain Mukuralinda, said they were ready to table the evidence any time Ingabire was ready. Following a brief session, the judge granted Ingabire one month to review the evidence against her. However, after the court session, Ingabire’s lawyer, Gatera Gashabana, insisted that he found nothing new in the Dutch document implicating his client. Ingabire was arrested in October 2010; she has since been accused by prosecution of delaying her trial by continuous requests for adjournment. She is jointly accused with four former FDLR combatants; Major Vital Uwumuremyi, Colonel Tharcisse Nditurende, Lieutenant Colonel Jean Marie Karuta and Lt Colonel Noel Habiyaremye – who have all pleaded guilty.