CYANGUGU TRIAL ADJOURNED FOR LACK OF WITNESSES

17 March 2003 By

Arusha, March 17, 2003 (FH) - Trial Chamber Three of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Monday adjourned the case of three people accused of genocide in south western province of Cyangugu. The trial that has been going on for the last two and a half years, was adjourned to March 24 because some defence witnesses for one of the accused, Emmanuel Bagambiki, could not make it in time.

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Bagambiki, a former prefect of Cyangugu, is jointly charged with the former commander of Cyangugu barracks Lieutenant Samuel Imanishimwe, and the former Transport minister, André Ntagerura. They are accused of planning, inciting, ordering and facilitating massacres in Cyangugu during the 1994 genocide. The trial adjourned early morning after hearing two protected witnesses for the defence. “FOZ” and “HUN”, socalled in order to protect their identities, gave most of their testimonies in camera. Bagambiki is expected to close his defence in a personal appearence after all the defence witnesses have been heard. The date of his appearence will be known next week when the court resumes. He is represented by Vincent Lurquin from Belgium, while the prosecution is represented by Richard Karegyesa, Andra Mobberley and Holo Makwaia. The prosecution maintains that more than 100,000 Tutsis were massacred in Cyangugu prefecture in a space of 23 days. KN/FH(CY'00317e)