WITNESS BLAMES ICTR INVESTIGATORS FOR CONTRADICTIONS IN HIS STATEMENT

Arusha, April 22, 2004 (FH)- A self-confessed killer and 52nd prosecution witness in the so-called Butare trial on Thursday blamed the investigators of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for wrongly recording part of his written statements. The witness dubbed "FAH" to hide his true identity made the allegation during cross examination by Frederic Pacere, lead counsel for the accused Colonel Alphonse Nteziryayo, former prefect of Butare (southern Rwanda), on trial for genocide with five others.

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"I told you there were some mistakes which were not mine. It is possible that those who took down my statements were mistaken," said FAH. The witness was responding to a question by counsel Pacere who wanted to know why there were contradictions between the statements of confession and the other two written statements he made to the ICTR investigators in April 7, 1999 and February 2000. The contradictions concerned a difference in the dates on which the accused was alleged to have addressed two different meetings to incite the population to kill and finish off Tutsis. The cross examination alternated between closed and open sessions until the end of the witness testimony. The name of the commune concerned was not revealed. The other accused include the former minister for Family and Women Affairs, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko; her son and militia leader, Arsene Shalom Ntahobali ; another former prefect of Butare, Sylvain Nsabimana; and two former mayors: Elie Ndayambaje, of Muganza commune and Joseph Kanyabashi of Ngoma. All have pleaded not guilty to genocide and crimes against humanity. The trial continues next Tuesday. The case is before Trial Chamber Two presided over by Judge William Hussein Sekule of Tanzania assisted by Judge Arlette Ramaroson from Madagascar and Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda. NI/JA/GF/FH (BT''0422e)