Dr Mbukani murder suspects remanded

The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, yesterday, remanded five suspects in the murder of Dr Rajab Mbukani to prison for 30 days.

Friday, January 11, 2013
Three of the five suspects are led out of court yesterday. The New Times/Timothy Kisambira

The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, yesterday, remanded five suspects in the murder of Dr Rajab Mbukani to prison for 30 days.The decision by the judge overruled the plea for bail by the suspects on grounds that the crime committed was serious in the case of first degree murder."Considering the gravity of the crimes the suspects consent to have committed, the court as decided that the suspects be remanded for a period of 30 days. The period will be used by the prosecution to gather more evidence,” the judge pronounced before she adjourned the court.Clad in a black and white striped shirt and a kintenge, the prime suspect, Louise Marie Muhire,  the deceased’s wife arrived at court premises on the back of a police pickup van at approximately 11:45a.m.On arrival, the van was attacked by an angry crowd, which hurled insults at Muhire - it took police over 20 minutes to push the crowd away and escort her inside the courtroom.Whereas the other suspects looked scared by the crowd, Muhire seemed to enjoy the situation by wearing a wry smile.When the judge read the guilty plea that Muhire made on Thursday, she looked down and poked two fingers in her ears in an apparent attempt not to hear what the judge was saying.The court also read out new evidence in the case, stating that Muhire’s elder sister, Clarisse Tuyisenge, was heavily involved in the plan to kill Dr Mbukani.The court said one of the suspect, Jean Paul Sekanyambo, received the Rwf10,000 to find a driver, who would later transport Dr Mbukani’s body and dumped it in a forest.The suspects were whisked out of the courtroom but the police was tasked to manoeuvre through a crowd that kept shouting, "Let her rot in prison!”