Paul Rusesabagina, a defendant in FLN, MRCD case involving more than 20 suspects accused of having committed several crimes including forming armed groups, attacks, and killings conducted on Rwandan soil has resisted the request of the prosecution to have a witness heard by the court.
On Friday, the prosecution tabled a request before court to allow one Bishop Niyomwungeri to testify on circumstances of Rusesabagina’s trip all the way from the United States of America to Kigali.
According to the prosecution, in his written statement, Bishop Niyomwungeri said that he had been communicating to Rusesabagina in the entire month of August 2020, on the planned trip to Bujumbura to meet FLN fighters & some senior leaders in the Burundian government who supported them.
Rusesabagina said he has sued Niyomwungeri in the East African Court of Justice for facilitating his ‘abduction’ and in Belgium and therefore he would wish to distance himself from him.
The prosecution, other defence teams in the trial supported that no party is allowed to prevent a witness from speaking.
This came following Rusesabagina’s decision to change his mind and accepted to go in substance on his objection where he said he was kidnapped and therefore requested the court to have the case “nullified.”
Court is giving the ruling on whether to hear Niwomwungeri or not shortly…
