Nyarugenge Intermediate Court will on December 2, deliver its ruling in a case involving Dieudonne Ishimwe commonly known as ‘Prince Kid’ who is suspected of several charges related to sexual harassment. Ishimwe is accused of three charges including; soliciting or offering sexual favours, harassment, and rape. 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. The court announced the verdict date during Friday’s hearing which was hearing new witnesses in the trial. Initially, the court was set to deliver the verdict on October 28 as the trial was closed on October 5 but the judge decided to re-open it and re-examine new witnesses. The Friday’s hearing session was initially scheduled for last week but adjourned after Ishimwe and his lawyers requested to the court that the witness should be heard in court, not only by the prosecution. The New Times learnt that during the trial in substance, the prosecution asked for a sentence of 16 years, while he requested to be acquitted. Ishimwe was arrested on April 26 and his trial started in May. 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.
