Musanze Intermediate Court on Thursday, July 30, returned a guilty verdict against the Executive Secretary of Kinigi Sector in Musanze District, convicting him and his accomplice for the crime of assault. The executive secretary, Innocent Twagirimana and his accomplice, Jean-Paul Habimana were both sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of Rwf3 million each. Habimana is a member of Reserve Force. They were both charged with assaulting and serious injuring a one Phocas Munyaziboneye, a resident of Kinigi Sector. The prosecution had asked for a 15-year sentence and a fine of 5 million, on grounds that they were not remorseful for the crime they allegedly committed on April 11. During the hearing, it was recounted that the duo found Munyaziboneye, a youth with his friends apparently moving in the neighbourhood despite a lockdown that was in place at the time, and that the group did not have protective gear like facemasks. The court said the accused would have faced between 10-15 years as per the law, but they received a lenient sentence because they were first-time offenders. Both accused and the plaintiff were all not present in court during the pronouncement of the sentence. Twagirimana and Habimana are accused of battering Munyaziboneye leaving him with permanent injuries as was confirmed by a medical report that was presented to court. According to the report, the victim was left with a broken femur, among other bodily injuries. During the court proceedings that started in mid-June, the two had denied the charges, saying that Munyaziboneye’s injury was derived from his falling on a tree stump, instead of having been beaten. The court, after verifying evidence presented by both parties, ruled that Habimana beat Munyaziboneye and Twagirimana was an accomplice in the crime. Twagirimana and Habimana can appeal the court ruling at the High Court within 30 days.
