KAMUHANDA'S BROTHER IS IN JAIL FOR GENOCIDE, WITNESS ADMITS

The witness, a Hutu businessman, admitted reluctantly that Karegezi was in prison because of his involvement in the massacres. "He is in jail for allegedly participating in the Gikomero massacres and particularly because he had a firearm. These are only suspicions as there is no evidence but only a presumption," GPK stated. "It has been said he was heavily involved in the killings, is it not so?”, the prosecutor asked the witness who answered : "That is not true because even those who did not participate are still in prison awaiting trial. "Asked by the prosecutor why he did not mention two of Kamuhanda's brothers to the officials from the Ministry of Justice as among those who perpetrated the massacres while he forwarded the names of other people, GPK said he did not see them committing the crimes at Gikomero in April 1994. GPK testified that Kamuhanda, whom he knew, never distributed firearms and was never in Gikomero commune during the genocide. "Kamuhanda was never seen, those who made statements saying that he was there made them for their own reasons," the witness said. The witness also told the chamber he witnessed the killings of Tutsis who had sought refuge at Gikomero Parish on April 12th 1994 by the Interahamwe. The evidence of GPK was taken mainly in closed session on Tuesday. Kamuhanda is charged with eight counts including genocide, complicity in genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape and murder. These crimes were allegedly committed in his native Gikomero commune (Kigali province, central Rwanda). The trial continues on Wednesday before Trial Chamber II composed of Judges William Hussein Sekule of Tanzania (presiding), Arlette Ramaroson (Madagascar) Winston Churchill Matanzima Maqutu (Lesotho). PJ/CE/FH (KH0121e)