The Brussels’ Court of Assizes has found Emmanuel Nkunduwimye guilty of Genocide crimes and the war crimes committed during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda.
During the Genocide, Nkunduwimye was running a garage called AMGAR in Nyarugenge-Kigali, adjacent to the furniture workshop commonly known as Agakinjiro.
For the last two months of the trial, several witnesses told the Court of Assizes, that Nkunduwimye co-owned the garage with George Rutanganda, then vice president of militia Interahamwe, and that he was a close friend to Robert Kajuga, president of the militia.
This, they said, had given him authority to decide the fate of any Tutsi; could kill or save anyone he wanted.
Nkunduwimye also used to charge some Tutsi families money so that he could help them escape, according to other witnesses.
Rutaganda and Nkunduwimye allegedly run two roadblocks in front of the garage where many Tutsi were arrested and killed.
Nkunduwimye denied all the allegations while saying that he rather helped many Tutsi to escape, but could not kill anyone because himself, was fearing for his life.
He based his argument on the fact that he was a brother-in-law to one Silas Majyambere, a city tycoon whom, allegedly was not in good books with the then government.
Upon this verdict, Nkunduwimye was arrested ahead of the sentence which will be pronounced on Monday, June 10.
