\nArusha, 13 October, 2009 (FH) - Augustin Ngirabatware was a kind of "God" in his native region, according to a witness testifying on Tuesday in the trial against the former Minister of Planning.\n<\/p>\n
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\nAugustin Ngirabatware hails from what used to be the Nyamyumba district, in the Prefecture of Gisenyi (northwest Rwanda). He is the son-in-law of a wealthy businessman on the run, Felicien Kabuga, the alleged sponsor of the 1994 genocide.\n<\/p>\n
\n"Minister Ngirabatware was considered a God. Everybody respected him. They did anything he asked, " said the witness, dubbed ANAK to protect his identity.\n<\/p>\n
\nTo illustrate just how much clout the defendant carried in 1993, the witness explained that Ngirabatware single-handedly obtained the release from prison of a man named Faustin Bagango who, at his instance, then became mayor of Nyamyumba.\n<\/p>\n
\nBagango was incarcerated for having led massacres against Tutsis and the looting of their goods in 1992-1993, ANAK said.\n<\/p>\n
\nICTR chambers admit facts prior to 1994 to be invoked for a better "appreciation of the context". However, in line with the ICTR's mandate, no conviction can be based on facts prior to 1994.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe witness ANAK still has to undergo cross-examination by the leading defense counsel, Peter Herbert. \n<\/p>\n
\nOnly five witnesses of the prosecution have been heard since the beginning of this trial on September 23. The prosecution team blames protracted cross-examinations for the slow pace of the trial.\n<\/p>\n
\nAugustin Ngirabatware, who was arrested in Germany on September 17, 2007, has been in ICTR custody since October 8, 2008.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe former minister, who is charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, is pleading not guilty.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe prosecutor alleges that he launched appeals to kill Tutsis during numerous meetings in his home region in 1994.\n<\/p>\n
\n Augustin Ngirabatware is also accused of having delivered weapons to the Interahamwe militia and of having used public funds to finance them.\n<\/p>\n
\nNgirabatware qualified from the University of Friburg (Switzerland) as a doctor of economics. He taught at the National University of Rwanda (1986-1990), before becoming Minister of Planning (1990-1994).\n<\/p>\n
\nHe fled Rwanda in July 1994 and subsequently worked in various research institutes in Gabon and in France.\n<\/p>\n
\nER\/GF\/JC\n<\/p>\n
\n© Hirondelle News Agency<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Arusha, 13 October, 2009 (FH) - Augustin Ngirabatware was a kind of "God" in his native region, according to a witness testifying on Tuesday in the trial against the former Minister of Planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[555],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-21885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hirondellenews"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n