Prosecution links ex-FAR officer exiled in France to armed group in DR Congo

In the ongoing pre-detention hearing involving nine suspects linked to an irregular armed group, prosecution said Thursday they are investigating a certain Major Faustin Ntilikina, an ex-FAR exiled in France. The suspects were appearing for the second consecutive day, before Nayarugenge Intermediate Court in Nyamirambo. Prosecution said they have reason to believe he might be involved in coordinating the formation of the armed group, dubbed P5, said to be operating out of Democratic Republic of Congo. The group, prosecutors have said, was formed by different so-called opposition outfits with an aim of attacking to overthrow the government in Rwanda. During the hearing yesterday, prosecution requested the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court to reject their bail application due to the fact they might compromise the ongoing investigations and or might escape. The prosecutor said that currently, his office is working closely with their French counterparts to bring to book Ntilikina. All the defendants are linked to the unregistered FDU-Inkingi party and during the hearing, some of them claimed that police had confiscated money they had acquired to buy food for their jailed leader, Victoire Ingabire who is serving a jail sentence for among other crimes, creating a terror group. The prosecutor pointed out that those who agreed to receiving funds from FDU-Inkingi leaders couldnt be going to DR Congo to buy food for Ingabire. Three of the defendants agreed that they were arrested while attempting to join other fighters in DR Congo while one told court he had made contact with people trying to convince him to join the group. One woman and eight men were arrested by police earlier this month as part of the ongoing investigation into the said P5 outfit. All of them appeared before the court of law on Wednesday and Thursday requesting to be released claiming that their detention was illegal. The judge adjourned the hearings on Tuesday September 26 for the court to pronounce itself on bail application

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Prosecution links ex-FAR officer exiled in France to armed group in DR Congo