NGEZE CLAIMS PROSECUTOR CONTACTED DEFENCE WITNESSES

Arusha, June 21, 2001 (FH) - Genocide suspect Hassan Ngeze told theInternational Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Thursday that personsfrom the ICTR Office of the Prosecutor had unlawfully contacted hiswitnesses in Europe. "The Office of the Prosecutor has gone in Europe to terrorize my witnessesin London, France and Belgium," Ngeze told the court shortly before thehearing of the 24th prosecution witness in the so-called Media Trial.

2 min 3Approximate reading time

Ngeze is former editor of the "Kangura" newspaper. He is on trial with twoother suspects linked to "hate media" that incited Hutus to kill Tutsisduring the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The other accused are FerdinandNahimana, former director of Radio-Télévision Libre des Mille Collines(RTLM); and Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza, a former politician and RTLM board member. Prosecutor Steve Rapp of the US said he was not aware of any prosecutioncontact with Ngeze's witnesses. He added that the prosecution needed toknow more about the defence allegations. Ngeze requested that the Chamber give him time to show hidden camera imagesof the contacts. Judge Navanethem Pillay of South Africa asked Ngeze toraise the issue through his lawyer. "I won't pass my motion through the counsel," Ngeze responded in English. "If you want to dismiss it you can," he added. The court did not make aruling on the issue. Ngeze has since April this year requested the ICTR to dismiss his presentdefence team, and allow him to pay for new lawyers. He is represented byJohn Floyd of the US and René Martel of Canada. Earlier on Thursday, Floyd filed a motion to the have the testimony of theprevious witness, "AES", dismissed. AES mainly testified that she had seenNgeze, in the company of militias, shoot a girl during the genocide. Thewitness said Ngeze had called his victim Inyenzi (derogatory term forTutsis), that she had been shot and then stoned to death by militias. AESsaid she fled as the militias were stoning the girl. " The witness said she saw someone get shot," Floyd said. "She did not feelthe pulse of the said victim or do anything to establish that the personwas dead," he added. "There is nothing put forth by this witness that showsthat a crime has been committed. Neither does the prosecutor appear to haveany other witness to corroborate this testimony. "Prosecutor Rapp argued that the rules of the ICTR were not governed bynational laws, and that the genocide in Rwanda was a special case. QuotingAlison Des Forges's book, 'Leave none to tell the story', Rapp said that,after all, there were not a lot of storytellers left from the genocide. The Chamber said it would deliver its ruling on the motion later in theday, or on Monday. It went on to hear the testimony of the 24th prosecutionwitness, dubbed "AGK" to protect his identity. The witness describedBarayagwiza as "a person who practiced ethnic and regional discrimination". AGK told the court of several cases where, he said, Barayagwiza haddiscriminated against Tutsis at his workplace. The witness said Barayagwiza was director of political affairs in theRwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1989 to 1994. AGK told the courtthat he worked in the same ministry. AGK continues his testimony before Trial Chamber One of the ICTR, composedof Judges Navanethem Pillay of South Africa (presiding), Erik Mose ofNorway and Asoka de Zoysa Gunawardana of Sri Lanka. GG/JC/FH (ME0621e)