WESTERN PROVINCE Police in Kibuye have detained a woman for allegedly bribing Gacaca officials to acquit his husband of genocide charges. Coltida Mukandutiye was arrested recently after she reportedly attempted to give Frw80,000 to Bwishyura Gacaca court judge. The bribe would have influenced judges to favour Emanuel Sibomana a genocide suspect escape prison term. Sibomana is working with RAMA in Kigali. The police say Mukandutiye tried to pass on her bribe to the judge through another person working with Kibuye Hospital, identified as Ann Mary Uwimana, who knew the judge well. The Police detained Umimana as well. The deal aborted after the intended recipient alerted the police at the time of handing out the bribe. She was arrested on the spot. However, Uwimana claims that she had ignorantly accepted to deliver the message without knowing it was money meant for bribe. “I did not know what was enclosed in the envelop. Mukandutiye told me to give it to him (Judge) because she had gone back to Kigali,” explained Uwimana, adding she was innocent. In the meantime, Mukandutiye also denies having given Uwimana the money. “I never gave anyone a bribe to pay it for me, otherwise why wouldn’t I bring it myself,” she said. According to sources, Sibomana had earlier been acquitted of the said charges by judges in Birambo Gacaca court where he was accused of committing the crimes. However, genocide survivors in the area, who were not satisfied with the verdict appealed. “We were not satisfied with the acquittal,” said a survivor. Following the appeal, authorities ordered for the retrial of the case at a different court at Bwishyura. Sibomana appeared for the trial on June 19 2008 but after learning that his spouse had been arrested he vanished. “That is enough evidence that Sibomana was guilty and maybe had bribed the first court, otherwise if he is innocent why bribe then?” one person commented. However, Clotilda defended her husband’s disappearance, saying her husband had a patient in Kigali that’s why he rushed back, though he is said to be missing in Kigali. The Police however, say there is enough implicating evidence against Sibomana. The suspects are meant to be tried at Kibuye court on a date yet to be fixed. Ends
