NDINDABAHIZI ARRESTED A MURDERER, SAYS WITNESS

Arusha, November 3, 2003 (FH) – The thirteenth defence witness on Monday told the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) that genocide suspect and former Minister of Finance, Emmanuel Ndindabahizi arrested a murderer in his native home of Kibuye prefecture, Rwanda. Ndindabahizi 53, is charged with three counts including genocide and crimes against humanity (extermination and murder).

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He is accused of organizing, inciting and supervising massacres, including making public calls for the killing of Tutsis in general and certain individuals in particular. He pleaded not guilty to all counts on October 20, 2001. The witness who was a local authority during the genocide said that the accused visited him one morning and informed him that he had arrested one Augustin Karera who had participated in killing and looting. “We reviewed the case together with Ndindabahizi who told me to continue searching on the case and to make sure the fellow has been dealt with”, the witness said. Part of the genocide suspect's indictment reads that despite the fact that Ndindabahizi knew about the attacks and had the authority to control the actions of those carrying them out, he did nothing either to prevent the attacks or to punish those involved. The witness also testified that there were communal meetings to stop the massacres adding that, “killers came asking for forgiveness saying they were guilty after those meetings”He testified that individual leaders like himself who worked closely with Ndindabahizi tried to put an end to the killings. The thirteenth witness testified that roadblocks were set up by groups of people officially monitoring RPF infiltration but the attacks were carried out by groups which could not be monitored by the authorities. Earlier, the twelfth witness completed his testimony on the same lines as previous witnesses. “I never heard anything about possible distribution of machetes,” he testified. The prosecution team is composed of Charles Edeogun-Phillips (Nigeria) and Wallace Kapaya (Tanzania) while Ndindabahizi is represented by Pascal Besnier and Guillaume Marçais from France. Ndindabahizi's trial continues tomorrow and it is before Trial Chamber One composed of Judge Erik Mose (Norway) presiding, judges Khalida Rachid Khan (Pakistan) and Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda). SV/CE/FH (NB1103e)