WITNESS DENOUNCES DEFENCE INVESTIGATOR

Arusha, November, 22, 2001 (FH) - Genocide convict Omar Serushago on Thursday denounced a defence investigator at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) as having participated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Serushago told the court on his sixth day of testimony that defence investigator for genocide suspect Ferdinard Nahimana was wanted by the ICTR Prosecutor.

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"A man sitting behind me worked in the office of the president," Serushago said pointing at Aloys Ngendahimana in the public gallery. "In fact he is wanted by the Tribunal. " The public gallery is separated from the courtroom by thick bullet-proof glass. Defence counsel for Nahimana strongly objected, saying this was "a technique aimed at destabilising the defence". "My investigator has been accused," French lawyer Jean-Marie Biju Duval told the court. "This is a serious breach of his security. " Biju Duval asked the court to sanction Serushago. The court ordered the ICTR Registry to investigate Serushago's allegations and submit a report to the Chamber. Ngendahimana was in July suspended by the Registry on suspicion of involvement in the genocide. He was said to be on the Rwandan government's list of top genocide suspects. However, he was reinstated after the Registry discovered that the suspect on the Category One list was a different person bearing the same name. Presiding Judge Navanethem Pillay of South Africa said that the court would in no way be influenced by Serushago's allegations against Nahimana's investigator. Nahimana is a founder and alleged former director of Radio-Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM). He is on trial with two other people linked to media that incited Hutus to kill Tutsis before and during the 1994 genocide: Jean-Bosco-Barayagwiza, aformer politician and RTLM board member; and Hassan Ngeze, former editor of the newspaper Kangura. Serushago, 40, plead guilty to genocide before the ICTR in 1999. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was the leader of Interahamwe militia in the northwest Rwandan region of Gisenyi during the 1994 genocide. Interahamwe were a militia of the then ruling party. The "Media trial" continued with cross-examination of Serushago by Nahimana's British co-counsel Diana Ellis. The case is before Trial Chamber One of the ICTR, composed of judges Navanethem Pillay of South Africa (presiding), Erik Mose of Norway and Andrésia Vaz of Senegal. GG/JC/PHD/FH (ME1122e)