The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, today, gave Léon Mugesera two months to get lawyers of his choice before his trial gets underway. Mugesera made his first court appearance since his deportation last week, today, and was charged with three counts. Dressed in a grey suit, sky-blue shirt and brown shoes, Mugesera arrived at the Nyamirambo-based court in a heavily guarded a convoy of three police cars at 8:44a.m. Police first cleared the courtroom before allowing in members of the public and journalists, before the session started at 9:01a.m. It lasted for just 30 minutes. Appearing before Judge Saudah Murererehe, a charge sheet was read out to the accused, with three counts: Planning the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, inciting the public to commit genocide and distribution of weapons. Mugesera, however, hastened to say he was not ready for substantive trial, saying he was yet to get lawyers. “I asked to Prosecution to give me two months to get lawyers and they accepted. Currently, I have only one lawyer (Donat Mutunzi) whom I haven’t fully trusted. I ask the court to consider my request as well,” he pleaded. Donat Mutunzi, a lawyer temporarily defending him, said: “My client was not interrogated by the Judicial Police and the Prosecution because he needs to have lawyers of his choice first.” Asked for their opinion, Prosecution supported the request.Prosecutor Ndibwami Rugambwa said: “We facilitated him to call his family and lawyers back in Canada, after which he asked for two months, and we have no objection. “Article 18 of the Constitution states that every person has a right to legal representation. We believe his request should be considered. We concur with him he should be given ample time to get his lawyers.” The Judge asked Mugesera the maximum period he needed and he replied, “two months should be enough” “Based on the submissions from the defence and prosecution, Mugesera has been granted two months to get his lawyers. The court has adjourned to April 02, 2012” ruled Justice Murererehe.The suspect, who was the vice-chairman of the former ruling party, MRND, in Gisenyi, became infamous for his incendiary speech in Kabaya in 1992, where he allegedly incited the killing of Tutsis (whom he referred to as scum) and tossing their bodies into Nyabarongo river, a tributary of the Nile, as a short cut to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), where they ‘came from’.
