Ingabire pinned down on ties with co-accused

The embattled leader of FDU-Inkingi, Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza was yesterday pinned on her earlier connections with one of her co-accused Maj. Vital Uwumuremyi, despite her denying any alliances with the four men she is charged with.As the case resumed for the second day after reopening, Ingabire, who was standing in the dock with Maj. Uwumuremyi, was put to task by the High Court Judge to explain her earlier acquaintances with the former member of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).Ingabire together with Uwumuremyi and three others face charges of charges related to forming a terrorist organisation with the aim of causing state insecurity. Prosecution alleges that Ingabire and the four former FDLR commanders had formed an armed group, Coalitionof Defence Forces (CDF)-an armed wing of her party, based in the DR Congo, with the aim of causing insecurity in Rwanda. She denies the charges. The four men have however pleaded guilty and begged the court for leniency.The High Court heard how Ingabire worked with Maj. Uwumuremyi, a former Ex-FAR and a commander before and after she arrived in the country at the beginning of 2010.Yesterday’s proceedings were based on the evidence presented by Prosecution that Ingabire, on several occasions, met with Uwumuremyi with the aim of setting up a training program for CDF rebels.The Prosecution further alleges that Ingabire sent funds to and met Uwumuremyi and two other former FDLR commanders; Lt. Col Tharcisse Nditurende, Lt. Col Noel Habiyambere and Jean Marie Vianney Karuta, in Kinshasa and Brazzaville, to plan their activities.The talking point yesterday was that upon arrival, Ingabire was in close consultation with Uwumuremyi, who was responsible for securing her a house, supervise the repairs, get her a house help and even secure security guards.Ingabire however denies any knowledge that she was dealing with Uwumuremyi, who was working for her under the alias Gaspard Kalimba.The Judge asked Ingabire to explain how she could trust the so called Gaspard Kalimba with such vital assignments without any knowledge of who he was since the transactions he conducted on her behalf were worth over Rwf 2 million.Uwumuremyi asked Ingabire’s defense to explain how a prospective presidential aspirant who knew what she was doing and where she was going, would entrust a stranger with the task to look for her accommodation and security.Ingabire’s told court that she wasn’t aware that it was Uwumuremyi she was dealing with and added that most of her correspondences with Kalimba (Uwumuremyi) were by email and did not actually bother to meet him physically.Uwumuremyi was arrested at the Rwanda-DRC border at La Corniche as he tried to sneak into the DRC where he was suspected to be conducting CDF activities. It was revealed that he tried to bribe police officers with US$50 to let him free.Uwumuremyi was found with forged Congolese travel documents bearing the names Muhindo Muhima Dieudonné Katumba Pepe Pipiyu.Prosecution led by the Deputy Prosecutor General, Alphonse Hitiyaremye, further argues that despite Ingabire denying knowledge of the co-accused, Uwumuremyi, who has many aliases, was one of the closest allies and aides of Ingabire, since her arrival in Rwanda.Uwumuremyi was also one of the people who welcomed Ingabire at the airport, brought in ushers who welcomed her and even arranged meetings in several parts of the country.He is also said to have signed the lease agreement for the house that Ingabire lived in. The case resumed today after it was adjourned yesterday after the lawyer representing Col. Nditurende told court that he had misplaced a paper with the questions her had prepared for Ingabire’s defense.Language issues continue to dog the case with the other four co-accused not able to express themselves fluently in French, while Ingabire’s British lawyer Iain Edwards can also not follow proceedings in Kinyarwanda.

National

Ingabire pinned down on ties with co-accused