Self-confessed Ingabire accomplice denied bail

Another self-confessed accomplice of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, Capt. Jean Marie Vianney Karuta, Monday evening had his bail application rejected by Gasabo Intermediate Court. He was remanded as further investigations continue. Speaking to The New Times after the ruling, the Spokesperson of Courts, Charles Kaliwabo, said that “the court found charges levelled against Karuta serious and denied him bail.” “He is accused of being a member a terrorist group and planning activities aimed at causing state insecurity,” said Kaliwabo. Capt. Karuta, a former officer with the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), pleaded guilty of conniving with Ingabire to form a militia group. Karuta told the court recently that he was the middleman between Ingabire and Lt. Col Tharcisse Nditurende and Lt. Col Noel Habiyakare — the two other co-accused — in forming the FDU-Inkingi’s armed wing, CDF-Inkingi, whose main aim was to destabilize the country. Both Ndirutende and Habiyakare, also pleaded guilty but were denied bail on the same groumds as Karuta. Karuta admitted having met in Kinshasa, DRC, with Ingabire and the Secretary General of FDU-Inkingi, Jean Baptiste Mberabahizi, and briefed them on the situation of his forces in the Congo jungles and what was required to boost them. The accused joined the FDLR in November 1998, after completing military training and other military courses in Congolese military academies. Karuta later defected from FDLR together with Lt. Cols. Nditurende and Habiyakare. A report by a UN Group of Experts listed FDU among organisations that support terrorism, and particularly named Ingabire. She is currently out on bail. Ends

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Self-confessed Ingabire accomplice denied bail