"I am going to sue him. It's part of my plans. The Prosecutor smeared my reputation with his calumnies", Kajelijeli said in a mix of French and Kinyarwanda while testifying for the Defence of Joseph Nzirorera, one of the three jointly accused in the so-called ‘'Karemera Trial'', bringing together three top leaders of then Rwanda's ruling party, MRND.
Kajelijeli made the statement during examination-in-chief led by Nzirorera's lead counsel American Peter Robinson, over his alleged role in the death of Mukingo's Mayor Emmanuel Harerimana on April 8, 1994.
According to the Prosecution, Harerimana, an opponent to then President Juvenal Habyarimana's regime, was poisoned to death by Kajelijeli who wanted to make a come-back to the office of mayor, which he had lost a year earlier.
After Harerimana's death, Kajelijeli was actually re-elected as Mayor of Mukingo on April 26, 1994.
The Prosecution alleges that Nzirorera, who was in 1994 Secretary General of MRND and an influential person in Mukingo, imposed his friend Kajelijeli's re-election.
Kajelijeli was an extremist Hutu who did not hide his hatred of Tutsis long before the genocide, the prosecution asserts.
Nzirorera is charged with genocide and crimes against humanity. He has pleaded not guilty.
The other two accused in the trial are: Mathieu Ngirumpatse, ex-MRND President and his Vice-President Edouard Karemera.
Karemera has already completed his defence case.
ER/GF/SC
© Hirondelle News Agency