The case in which a Ministry of Finance director, Jean Jacques Nyirubutama, is accused of rape has been adjourned to January 11, 2008. Nyirubutama, who is the director of external finance, is facing trial for allegedly defiling and raping his 14-year-old (names withheld) housemaid. He re-appeared before Nyarugenge Court of Lower Instance on Friday. The same court sent him on provisional detention as investigations into his case continue. Presiding Judge Roserine Niwahazwa said that the ruling of the director’s case could not be possible due to a lot of work in place. In a court session attended by Nyiributama’s wife and relatives, the judge announced: “the case which was supposed to be ruled today could not be ruled because of too much work still to be done. So the case will be ruled on January 11, 2008,” the judge said. Nyirubutama was on August 28 remanded at Kigali Central Prison. He has been appearing before Nyarugenge High Court for over a month now. Earlier, the Nyarugenge Court of Lower Instance ruled that there were strong reasons to believe that Nyirubutama committed the alleged crime, basing on information from witnesses and medical examinations. However through his lawyer Athanase Rutabingwa, Nyirubutama dismissed the allegations as false arguing that the accuser is the only source of the information court based on in its ruling.Ends
