Ngoga testifies in Bazaramba’s case

KIGALI - Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga, yesterday testified as an expert witness in the on-going case against Francois Bazaramba, a key Rwandan Genocide suspect currently detained in Finland. The Finnish court is sitting in Kigali to examine witnesses for both the prosecution and the defence. Ngoga testified before the judges at the court’s temporary premises at the Supreme Court. The trial is being heard by four judges, three state prosecutors and two defence lawyers all from Finland. Ngoga told the court that charges against Bazaramba are real and not made up. “Empirical evidence on the ground implicates Bazaramba,” Ngoga explained. Ngoga also assured the European judges of the Rwandan judicial system’s capacity arguing that it has significantly improved over the years. The 58-year-old Bazaramba is accused of murder and organising killings during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. He is said to have masterminded killings in the Nyakizu, Southern Province where over 5,000 people lost their lives. Bazaramba, who sought asylum in Finland in 2003, has been in detention since 2007. According to the prosecution, Bazaramba faces a life sentence on conviction for his role in the Genocide. Finland state prosecutor Raija Toiviainen said that the Finnish court hopes to get a better understanding of Bazaramba’s case after talking to several witnesses in Kigali. “We shall have a better picture of everything surrounding this whole issue after interviewing more witnesses in Kigali,” Toiviainen said in a separate interview. According to the prosecution, many of Bazaramba’s victims were women and children. A former leader in the Baptist Church, the accused lives in the town of Porvoo, 30 miles east of the capital, Helsinki.Finland has signed international agreements to investigate and prosecute genocide perpetrators. Bazaramba’s case is the first to be held in Finland. Ends

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Ngoga testifies in Bazaramba’s case