Seven terror suspects denied bail, one released

The High Court yesterday denied bail to six men and one woman accused of forming an armed group calling itself P5 but released another. The court ruled that Ernest Nkiko be released on bail as the prosecution failed to provide evidence that links him with the main suspects. However, the court ordered Papias Ndayishimiye, Gratien Nsabiyaremye, Evode Mbarushimana, Leonille Gasengayire, Norbert Ufitamahoro, Boniface Twagirimana and Fabien Twagirayezu to be kept on remand. All defendants claim to be members of FDU-Inkingi, an unregistered political party in the country. The High Court ruled that the decision by Nyarugenge Intermediate Court to remand the rest of the group for 30 days pending further investigations remain unchanged. Earlier, Boniface Twagirimana, said to be the vice-president of FDU-Inkingi, denied that he provided money to fund recruits to join an armed group in DR Congo, including some of his co-accused. Leonille Gasengayire maintained her claim of innocence, telling the court that she had been in jail before and when she was released had not fled the country. Gasengayire told the court that her only involvement in the case was getting money to buy food for their incarcerated part leader, Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, adding that the money was not meant to fund those going to join the armed group. Meanwhile, Papias Ndayishimiye and Norbert Ufitamahoro, who had earlier admitted to have been arrested while heading to DR Congo to join P5, changed their statement at the High Court, claiming that they confessed under duress. Prosecution had played some of the recorded conversations provided by a local telecom firm and presented WhatsApp messages exchanged in military codes by some of the defendants. It added that they were in possession of conclusive evidence linking most of the accused to elements of P5 who are in DR Congo. The accused were arrested in early September as part of investigations into the formation of the irregular armed group. Another suspect in the case was earlier release by Nyarugenge Intermediate Court. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Seven terror suspects denied bail, one released