17.10.08 - RWANDA/GACACA - EX- KIBUNGO ACCOUNTANT ACQUTTED IN APPEAL

Ngoma , 17 October 2008 - Jean de Dieu Munyengabe, alias Padiri, 55, former accountant of Kibungo prefecture was acquitted on Tuesday by the Appellate Court in Ngoma district., Eastern Rwanda.

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Classified in the first category of the planners of the genocide, this native of Ruhengeri, regarded as stronghold of the former regime, was prosecuted for his role in the persecution and the death of RPF "acolytes" in 1990, and in the organization and the holding of genocide planning meetings, states the indictment.

After his acquittal in first instance, in mid-September, by the court of the Kibungo sector, Innocent Zitoni, a victim, filled appeal . "The court of the sector did not take into account the similarity of testimonies, certain prosecution witnesses were not heard, the judgment was rendered by judges who had not taken part in the trial", according to the appeal motion.

During the testimony of the various parties, Tuesday, it proved that the defendant had already been sentenced to two years in prison for the holding "genocide planning meetings". "I admit to have taken part in these genocide planning meetings, and I have already been convicted for that", recognized Munyengabe.

"A planner of the genocide admits his guilt and is sentenced to two years. The gacaca court acquits him, it is an embarrassment to justice. And he is the only one to be tried in Kibungo", claimed Mr. Emmanuel Rutagengwa, an IBUKA official in the Ngoma district.

SRE/PB/MM/SC

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