Nyarugenge Intermediate Court will on Friday, October 28, pass its verdict in the trial involving Dieudonne Ishimwe, commonly known as ‘Prince Kid.’ Ishimwe is being prosecuted for two charges-which are soliciting or offering sexual favours and harassment. As the CEO of Rwanda Inspirational Backup, the company that organised the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant, Ishimwe allegedly committed the offences over a period spanning several years. He was arrested on April 26, his trial started in May and came to a conclusion on October 5 this year, to give way for the judge to deliberate before coming up with a verdict. The New Times learnt that during the trial in substance, the prosecution called for a sentence of 16 years, while he requested to be acquitted. His trial has been held in camera (closed to the public) from pre-trial hearings until the trial in substance; a decision that came after the judge said that the dossier includes elements that can endanger public morals as well as affect the people involved in the case including witnesses and victims. However, Ishimwe was against the prosecution’s request arguing that Miss Rwanda was a big project which has been followed by millions of people who deserve to know what the investigation has found, among other reasons. Ishimwe started organising Miss Rwanda in 2014 and had seen the annual event become one of the most popular in the country. On May 9 however, the government announced a halt to his company, stopping it from organising the annual beauty pageant following several allegations of misconduct and abuse towards contestants.
