The Nyarugenge intermediate Court on Friday October 16 postponed the substantive hearing of the case involving former Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, as the defendant requested for a panel of three judges to handle his case. Habumuremyi faces charges of breach of trust and issuing bounced cheques. According to prosecution, the former premier issued bounced cheques totalling to about Rwf170 million to different people on behalf the Christian University of Rwanda, an institution he owned. The university has since been closed by the Higher Education Council, over management challenges that had adversely affected the quality of education offered there. Habumuremyi has been on remand since late July. On Friday, his substantive hearing was set to begin, only to be halted by his request for more judges – citing the nature of the case. Habumuremyi and his lawyers were attending the court session from the Mageragere prison via information technology. Jean Pierre Kayitare one of Habumuremyi’s lawyers told court that because of the nature of the case and its size, the defendant’s side wants it to be handled by a panel of three judges. However, prosecution refuted the request saying that Habumuremyi’s side did not present it earlier levels of the case, among other things. The presiding judge postponed the substantive hearing to October 30, so that court gets time to examine the petition of Habumuremyi.
