Military court hands nine years to Rugigana

The Military High Court, yesterday, sentenced Lt. Col Rugigana Ngabo to nine years in prison for threatening state security and fomenting public disorder.The Kanombe-based court presided over by Judge Maj. Bernard Hategekimana, found Rugigana guilty of conspiring to threaten state security and inciting violence, but acquitted him of treason related charges.Rugigana, former head of the Engineering Regiment in the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF), was arrested in August 2010.He was sentenced to nine years for conspiring to threaten state security and five years for inciting violence – and a fine of Rwf200, 000.“Lt. Col Rugigana Ngabo will only serve the highest sentence among the charges he has been found guilty of. You are sentenced to nine years in prison and you’ll pay a fine of Rwf100, 000,” Hategekimana ruled.The Judge said Rugigana has 30 days to appealHis lawyer, Geoffrey Butare, said they were not happy with the court’s decision. The defence had requested their client to be acquitted.“Some of what we had requested was not given value while others were considered during the ruling. We will reveal the laws that were breached when the appeal hearing starts,” Butare told journalists shortly after the ruling.“My client is not happy with the court’s decision, but we are going to prepare for appeal,” he added.

National

Military court hands nine years to Rugigana