03.12.08 - ICTR/KABUGA - 1994 GENOCIDE: KABUGA'S WIFE COMPLAINS ICTR BLACKMAILING KENYAN GOVERNMENT

Arusha,3 December, 2008 (FH)-Wife of the Rwandan fugitive Felician Kabuga has accused the Arusha-based UN"s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) of arm-twisting Kenyan government over her husband's arrest and recent freezing of her assets.

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Through her lawyer, Kenneth Ogeto, Ms Mukazitoni Josephine, has urged the Kenyan government not to be a party to it, reported Kenya's private newspaper, The Nation, Wednesday.

The lawyer was making submissions in a case in which Mrs Kabuga is challenging an order obtained in May by the Attorney-General to freeze an account with funds from rental of houses belonging to Kabuga family.

Mrs Kabuga also claimed that she was not even a suspect before the UN Court and therefore the freezing act was not applicable to her.

However, ICTR maintains that all intelligence reports point that the most-wanted fugitive Kabuga was hiding in Kenya and allegedly that he was using his wealth to interfere with the work of the Tribunal.

Kabuga, 73, has US $5 million bounty from the United States government for his arrest.

Kabuga and his wife are believed to have vast interests in Kenya, including transport companies, real estate, hotels and farming.

Kabuga, who is believed to be using Kenya as one of his hideouts, has been on the run since 1994; he is one of the ICTR's big fish who is still at large and the most high-profile suspect.

Kabuga was last sighted in Kenya on June 28, 2006 at the Lavington residence of a former Kenya Cabinet minister.

He is believed to frequent Europe and African countries such as Madagascar, Gabon and Kenya.

Kabuga was, in 1994, thrown out of Switzerland and went to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before seeking refuge in Kenya, where he has escaped several attempts to arrest him.

He has also changed his names several times to Faracean Kabuga, Idriss Sudi, Abachev Straton, Anathase Munyaruga, or Oliver Rukundaku.

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