“KIGALI 06.02.2010 NEW TIMES, A JUDGE AND JURY, EXPLOITING FORGED GACACA EVIDENCE TO MAKE MORE VICTIMS. We read with utmost concern, the New Times of Saturday, 6th February 2010. The fire spitting media has unveiled its true colors. The title on the front page “Ingabire’s assistant a Gacaca fugitive” alleging that Joseph Ntawangundi was sentenced to 19 years in absentia, is sheer lies. Joseph Ntawangundi left Rwanda in 1986 for studies in Poland (Wroclaw), returned to Rwanda in 1992 and worked in Kigali (CESTRAL). In 1993, he left Rwanda for ICFTU - AFRO (international confederation for free trade unions, African Regional Organisation, NAIROBI, Kenya) as a Research and Training Officer until 2002. During the genocide, Mr. Joseph Ntawangundi was attending, on behalf of the ICFTU – AFRO, a 2-month training course in Sweden (GANGNEF) and returned to Kenya. He never officiated in the education sector in Rwanda, in any capacity whatsoever. He has never been school director in Gitwe during the genocide, as claimed by the paper. Either the reporters have been mislead, or they deliberately want to mislead the readers for their own agenda. Since Mrs. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza returned to Rwanda, this paper has been recklessly issuing fabricated stories without giving any chance of counter evidence, in total disregard of media ethics. I challenge the paper to produce any evidence of its allegations, at least for the sake of the readers respect. Else, let it give a right of answer to Mr. Joseph Ntawangundi. Even if our position about GACACA has not changed, we hope that it has not fallen this low to condemn an innocent who was not even in Rwanda during the genocide, and for crimes committed in a place he has never been to. Meanwhile, weve just learnt that Mr Joseph Ntawangundi has been picked up by the police and is currently held at Remera police station. This shows the kind of relationship between New Times and security forces which rely on libels from this paper. We would like to recall that Mr Joseph Ntawangundi is still recovering from injuries sustained on 3rd February 2010, following attacks in government premises in Kinyinya sector. He is expecting justice, not mob justice. UDF INKINGIMrs. Victoire Ingabire UmuhozaChairperson” Ingabire eats her own words Press release04th March 2009 UPDATE ON JOSEPH NTAWANGUNDI’S CASE Since the arrest of Joseph Ntawangundi on 05th February 2010 and the subsequent incommunicado detention, UDF-INKINGI is conducting its own investigations. At this stage, troubling details about his curriculum vitae raise a certain amount of questions on the information he volunteered before the arrest. This has resulted in regrettable errors in our press release dated 05th February 2010. Therefore we dissociate ourselves explicitly from the earlier records of his occupational environment, and call on serious investigations. His lawyer is still trying in vain to obtain a copy of the infamous 2007 in absentia trial. Until proven otherwise, Joseph Ntawangundi is presumed innocent. We call on the government to ensure that he is granted a fair, prompt and public trial. Ms. Victoire Ingabire UmuhozaChair UDF-INKINGIKigali.
