31.01.07 - ICTR/DEFENCE - ICTR TERMINATES THE CONTRACT OF THE EX-PRESIDENT OF THE ADAD

Arusha, January 30 2007 (FH) – The administration of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has terminated the contract binding the tribunal to the former president of the Association of Defence lawyers (ADAD), Hamuli Rety (Congo), an official source has reported Tuesday. The ICTR Registrar, Adama Dieng (Senegal), « withdraws Mr. Hamuli Rety’s assignment as co-Counsel for (Major) François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye », reads his decision. The appointment of defence lawyers is the responsibility of the Registry, the office in charge of the administrative and financial management of the tribunal. On January 17, Nzuwonemeye’s lead counsel, Charles Taku (Cameroon), complained to Mr. Dieng of an « irreversible breakdown of confidence» between Mr. Rety and the accused. One week earlier, Mr. Rety had personally informed Major Nzuwonemeye of his intention to withdraw from the case due to the deterioration of their personal relationship, the Registrar’s decision recalls. Hamuli Rety had previously been working as co-counsel in the defence team of the ex-Minister André Ntagerura who was definitely acquitted in the beginning of the year 2006. Mr. Rety is a member of the Bar Association of Bobigny, France. For entirely different reasons, last December, the Registrar of the ICTR had also terminated the contract of Olivia Bouët (Levallois-Perret Bar Association, France) who was co-counsel for Father Emmanuel Rukundo. Mrs. Bouët had asked for her own withdrawal, justifying her choice by the existence of «imperious reasons which make her unavailable over an indefinite period of time». Every defence team at the ICTR counts one lead counsel, one co-counsel and at least one legal assistant and one investigator. The lead counsel, in close cooperation with the accused, maps out the defence strategy and presents it to the court. MG/ER/AT © Hirondelle News Agency