COUNSEL PLEADS FOR NDAYAMBAJE TREATMENT

Arusha, March 25, 2003 (FH) - Lead counsel for genocide suspect, Elie Ndayambaje, former Mayor of Muganza commune was on Tuesday morning compelled to ask the assistance of Trial chamber II of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to intervene in the issue of medical treatment for his client. Pierre Boulé of Canada interrupted court proceedings following his client's failure to get the doctor's attention for about two hours.

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"Your honour, I ask you to intervene so that my client is treated. "Ndayambaje who is on trial with five other genocide suspects in the socalled Butare trial, was exempted from attending the morning court session and was advised by the chamber to wait for the doctor in the waiting room after a brief report that he was not well. Boulé also told the chamber that his client would wish to go back to the UNDF (United Nations Detention Facilities) as his condition was worsening. The decision of the chamber, given while in closed session, was that the registry was directed to look into the matter so that the accused could get the right medical attention. The accused was treated and came back to attend the afternoon court session. The interruption occurred when Normand Marquis of Canada, cocounsel for Arsene Shalom Ntahobali was still crossquestioning the twentythird prosecution witness, a Tutsi woman dubbed QY to shield her identity. As he and his colleagues had done with many previous prosecution witnesses, he based his crossexamination on the contradictions between the oral and written statement made by the witness. Josette Kadji of Cameroon, lead counsel for Sylvain Nsabimana, former prefect of Butare, then took the floor to crossexamine witness QY. QY will be reexamined by the prosecution on Wednesday. Other coaccused include, another former prefect of Butare, Alphonse Ntezirayo who took over from prefect Nsabimana, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, former Minister of Family and Women Affairs and also the mother of the accused, Shalom Ntahobali and Joseph Kanyabashi, former Mayor of Ngoma commune. The trial is before Trial Chamber Two, presided over by the Tanzanian Judge, William Sekule, assisted by judges Arlette Ramaroson of Madagascar and Winston Churchill Matanzima Maqutu of Lesotho. NI/CE/FH (BU'0325e)