Nyarugenge primary Court on Tuesday, April 25, remanded Eric Sebanani Kazungu for 30 days on charges of killing his wife, Suzanne Murekeyiteto, in March.
The deceased was found dead in their home in Kimisagara Sector in Nyarugenge District on March 7. The 37-year-old suspect was arrested shortly after the alleged murder following a preliminary investigation that showed he killed his wife and fled.
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While delivering the bail ruling, the presiding judge noted that there were reasonable grounds to suspect that Kazungu had committed the crime and subsequently denied him bail.
During the bail hearing, on April 20, the suspect pleaded guilty to killing the mother of four but claimed it was not premeditated.
However, the prosecution presented evidence to support their claim that Kazungu premeditated the murder, saying that they had witness accounts, including that of the family maid and neighbours linking him to the crime.
According to the maid, on the fateful day, Kazungu arrived home late at night carrying a machete and a bottle of alcohol. He hit his wife on the head with the bottle during a quarrel. The maid ran out of the house to call for help. On return, she found the deceased already dead.
The prosecutor stated that Kazungu had been in conflict with his wife over their children, including one allegedly born out of wedlock.
After hitting his wife with the bottle, it is alleged that she ran to the children’s bedroom, where he followed her and started hacking her to death with a machete. He then, it is alleged, dismembered her and stuffed her limbs in a bucket.
Meanwhile, the suspect claimed he was not mentally sound at the time of the act and stated that his wife had a long-running conflict, claiming that she used to beat him.
He asked for forgiveness from his family and the Rwandan community at large.