Diane Rwigara being led to a waiting van outside court
The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court has for the third time, adjourned a pre-trial hearing in the case involving prosecution and three family members; Diane Shima Rwigara, Anne Uwamahoro Rwigara and their mother Adeline Mukangemanyi Rwigara.
Today’s hearing took a new twist when Adeline Nukangemanyi Rwigara rejected the trio’s lawyer, Pierre Celestin Buhuru – citing the gravity of the dossier.
She said Buhuru will no longer defend her but will remain defending her two daughters. Adeline Rwigara told court that she had decided to hire her own lawyer, Gatera Gashabana.
“Following my observation that the dossier is big and can’t be handled by one lawyer, and after being denied access to it, I have decided to find another lawyer.
The Rwigaras being led to a waiting police van outside court. Their hearing was adjourned to Friday
Besides, I do not know any case against me,” she told court.
Her claim followed a prior statement by their lawyer, who said the dossier is over 600 pages and they have not all had enough time to read it page by page.
Meanwhile, as was the case in the two previous hearings, all accused insisted they do not know any charge against them.
Another request by Adeline Rwigara was to be granted access to the ‘frozen’ family money in order to pay another lawyer.
The court denied her this permission on grounds that the case is at a pre-trial level and a decision of that nature cannot be taken.
On the side of Diane Rwigara, she also coincided with her mother and asked for more time to review the released dossier.
In the previous hearing, the accused’s lawyer had requested prosecution to access the dossier and the request was granted.
The hearing was adjourned to Friday, October 13, 2017.
