Nyamvumba is accused of soliciting a bribe worth Rwf7.2 billion from Javier Elizalde, a Spanish investor who had submitted and won a tender to set up street lighting in Rwanda. The tender was won in in 2019 and priced at Rwf72 billion to light up streets on 955.8 Km but later on reduced to Rwf48.4billion after the budget revision.
After the tender process was finally approved and submitted for funding to the Ministry of Finance, the Prosecution revealed, Nyamvumba contacted Elizalde (who was not in Rwanda) in January 2020 asking for an urgent meeting over the tender progress.
The duo finally managed to meet in one of the hotels in Kigali in the same month, where Elizalde in his testimony stated that Nyamvumba asked for 10% commission to have the tender processed faster.
Elizalde is said to have been deceived over the request and subsequently informed the Rwanda Investigation Bureau for further investigation.
Prosecution said that investigators collected evidence from testimonies of some of the ministry’s officials who confirmed the alleged intent to solicit a bribe in the name of the infrastructure’s ministry.
During trial proceedings in 2020, Nyamvumba denied involvement in the alleged charges citing inconsistences in prosecution evidence.
On 29th September 2020, the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court found him guilty of accused crimes, handed him six-year jail term and slapped him with Rwf21 billion fine.
Towards the beginning of January, Nyambumba filed an appeal where he changed his plea to guilty, confessed for his crimes and requested leniency noting that he doesn’t have means to pay the fine slapped on him.
He also asked forgiveness to President of the Republic and Rwandans in general.
Nyamvumba admitted to have acted as a link between a businessman identified as Damascène Niyomugabo who had accepted a commission of 10% (Rwf7 billion) once he successfully helps him to work with Elizalde.
As the court read the ruling on 7th February 2022, the sentence was reduced by more than a half while the fine was reduced to Rwf50 million.
Sankara appealed for leniency on Monday 31st January 2022 appearing before the Court of Appeal along with co-accused individuals convicted of terrorism charges.
On 20th September 2021, the High Court Special Chamber for International and Cross-border crimes convicted former President of MRCD-FLN terrorist group, Paul Rusesabagina of terrorism charges and handed him 25-year jail term while Callixte Nsabimana alias Sankara, the former spokesperson for the terror group was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
The remaining nineteen co-accused individuals were sentenced from three to 20 years.
Following the ruling, the accused, plaintiffs and the Prosecution were given 30 days for appeal.
Later on, it was said that 13 of convicts and 74 survivors of FLN attacks who sought compensation expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment separately and filed an appeal.
During trial proceedings, 94 survivors of the attacks sought over Rwf1 billion but the court resolved that few of them would get compensated and the amount was below demanded compensation. Towards the end of last year; the Prosecutor General, Aimable Havugiyaremye said that the appeal was filed following dissatisfaction with verdicts.
He also revealed that the Prosecution was not happy with the acquittal of Rusesabagina on the formation of an irregular armed group and handed sentence among others.
Rusesabagina who did not appeal against the 25-year jail term, had boycotted the court during trial proceedings citing zero expectation of fair trial.
The convicts faced charges including the formation of an irregular armed group, membership of a terrorist group, financing terrorism, murder as an act of terrorism, arson as an act of terrorism, attempted murder as an act of terrorism, and assault and battery as an act of terrorism.
The crimes were committed since 2018 when MRDC/FLN combatants plotted attacks to Rwanda which claimed lives of nine innocent residents in the Southern Province.
They left many others gravely injured, and caused significant material and economic damage in South-West Rwanda.
As the appeal hearing resumed on 31st January 2022, only 19 convicts appeared before court in-person while Matakamba Jean Berchmans attended virtually from Mageragere Prison.
Today’s court session saw the accused appealing against their sentence. It was postponed on 28th January 2022 due to the absence of Herman Twajamahoro, the defense lawyer of three convicts.
Appearing before the court, seven of the accused individuals have requested lenient punishment while five sought suspended sentence.
The seven individuals seeking lenient punishment requested the court to consider different reasons including the fact that they are brought to court for the first time, pleading guilty during interrogations and trial in substance.
Sankara said the court needs to consider that the 20-year jail term deprived him of his chance to be reintegrated into Rwandan community, that he would complete the sentence in his advanced ages (57).
Sankara told the court that he endured suffering since he was aged 12 when he lost both parents and six siblings.
He told the court that having publicly distanced himself against his political party RRM and MRCD/FLN, his poor health conditions suffering from blood pressure and stomachache should be considered to hand him a lenient punishment.
Sankara said that he became an enemy of countries he accused of having supported FLN including Burundi, Uganda and the former President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu noting that he has become a changed man who want to be loyal to the Government of Rwanda where he is assured of safety and contribute to national development.
Among others, the former FLN spokesperson requested the court to consider the fact that there are FLN combatants who were taken to Mutobo Demobilization Center as well as other Genocide suspects who received lenient punishments and reintegrated into the Rwandan community after pleading guilty and apologizing.
“As I have been doing it during interrogation, to the Prosecution, High Court and in front of you, I apologize again for what happened and promise you to become an exemplary citizen, abiding by all laws of the country once you grant me the chance of receiving a reduced sentence to be reintegrated into Rwandan community,” Sankara said.
His defence lawyer, Jean Rugeyo also supported his clients’ request highlighting that Sankara has become a changed man ready to contribute to his nation’s development with no intentions to drag himself into criminal acts again.
The Presiding Judge, François Regis Rukundakuvuga asked Rugeyo what he thinks is inappropriate in the High Court’s decision. He replied that the court did not reduce the jail term as per client’s wishes.
Sankara said that he doesn’t want to be acquitted because he is aware of the severity of the crimes he committed but requested for a kind of punishment that rehabilitates him into a more responsible citizen.
The Prosecution has requested the court to reject the appeal noting that it is not founded.
On 20th September 2021, the High Court Special Chamber for International and Cross-border crimes convicted them of different charges including terrorism.
The court convicted former President of MRCD-FLN terrorist group, Paul Rusesabagina of terrorism charges and handed him 25-year jail term while Callixte Nsabimana alias Sankara, the former spokesperson for the terror group was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
The remaining nineteen co-accused individuals were sentenced from three to 20 years.
Following the ruling, the accused, plaintiffs and the Prosecution were given 30 days for appeal
Later on, it was said that 13 of convicts and 74 survivors of FLN attacks who sought compensation expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment separately and filed an appeal.
During trial proceedings, 94 survivors of the attacks sought over Rwf1 billion but the court resolved that few of them would get compensated and the amount was below demanded compensation.
Towards the end of last year; the Prosecutor General, Aimable Havugiyaremye said that the appeal was filed following dissatisfaction with verdicts.
He also revealed that the Prosecution was not happy with the acquittal of Rusesabagina on the formation of an irregular armed group and handed sentence among others.
Rusesabagina who did not appeal against the 25-year jail term, had boycotted the court during trial proceedings citing zero expectation of fair trial.
The convicts faced charges including the formation of an irregular armed group, membership of a terrorist group, financing terrorism, murder as an act of terrorism, arson as an act of terrorism, attempted murder as an act of terrorism, and assault and battery as an act of terrorism.
The crimes were committed since 2018 when MRDC/FLN combatants plotted attacks to Rwanda which claimed lives of nine innocent residents in the Southern Province.
They left many others gravely injured, and caused significant material and economic damage in South-West Rwanda.
Munyenyezi’s trial in substance was scheduled to begin on Thursday 6th January 2022.
The Spokesperson of Rwanda’s Judiciary, Harrison Mutabazi has told IGIHE that the trial in substance has been postponed due to unavailability of defense lawyers.
He disclosed that Munyenyezi’s defense lawyers informed the court about
Following the decision to adjourn the trial on 9th December 2021, Munyenyezi’s defense lawyers informed the court that they would not make it as they had other clients to assist on the same date.
“The court accepted their request and adjourned the trial to 18th January 2022 from 8a.m,” Mutabazi said.
Munyenyezi is facing seven charges linked to her role in the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and crimes against humanity.
These include manslaughter as Genocide crime, preparation of Genocide, direct or indirect mobilization to perpetrate Genocide, conspiracy during Genocide, extermination as a crime against humanity and conspiracy to commit rape.
Munyenyezi was deported to Rwanda from the United States on 16th April 2021 and appeared before court towards the end of same month.
He was accused of abusing power and being a matchmaker in bribery scandal.
Dr. Munyakazi was not presented as the court read the ruling on Wednesday 15th December 2021.
He is co-accused with Abdu Gahima, a local businessman and owner of Good Harvest School, a private school located in the Kicukiro District.
Nyarugenge Intermediate Court had sentenced Dr. Munyakazi for ten years and slapped him Rwf10 million fine on 16th October 2021 while Gahima was given five-year sentence and slapped Rwf2 million fine.
The ruling read on Wednesday saw the sentence handed to Munyakazi reduced by half.
Among others, the court rejected Gahima’s appeal and maintained his five-year jail term while the fine was reduced to Rwf 1.5 million.
The trial was scheduled to take place virtually on Thursday 9th December 2021.
The court’s registrar has told IGIHE that the trial has been postponed to 6th January 2022 because assigned judges have left for training.
Munyenyezi had filed a request to be tried in-person which was expected to be reviewed today.
She is facing seven charges linked to her role in Genocide and crimes against humanity.
These include manslaughter as Genocide crime, preparation of Genocide, direct or indirect mobilization to perpetrate Genocide, conspiracy during Genocide, extermination as a crime against humanity and conspiracy to commit rape.
Munyenyezi was deported to Rwanda from the United States on 16th April 2021 and appeared before court towards the end of same month.
Her trial is postponed shortly after rejecting two defense lawyers including Gatera Gashabana and Pierre Célestin Buhuru.
IGIHE has learnt that lawyer Bruce Bikotwa is the current lead defense lawyer of Munyenyezi.
The duo was sentenced by Nyarugenge Primary Court on Friday 3rd December 2021.
CSP Kayumba and SP Ntakirutimana were found guilty of crimes including theft, unauthorized access to computer system data and impersonation while co-accused intelligence officer at the prison identified as Ephraim Mutamaniwa has been acquitted.
Another co-accused Olivier Amani Twizere was also acquitted even though he had pleaded guilty of charges against him.
During trial proceedings, the Prosecution said that CSP Kayumba approached Olivier Amani, an inmate at Nyarugenge Prison who has IT skills, to help him steal money belonging to Kassem Ayman Mohamed, a British national also incarcerated in Nyarugenge Prison.
Kassem would normally use his visa card to buy medication and food, and leave the card to the person in charge of social affairs at the prison after use.
The Prosecution explained that Kayumba ordered the officer to give him the visa card, and took it to Amani to help him withdraw money that was on it.
In January 2021, it was reported that Kassem Ayman Mohamed, a resident from the United Kingdom detained at the prison was robbed Rwf9, 144,300,000 equivalent to 7,679,911 pounds.
The money was stolen from his ATM card which he used to shop medication and foods twice a month.
Twizere admitted that he stole money from Kassem on order of CSP Kayumba.
Twizere explained that he was obliged to obey his boss lest he would be threatened and accepted after reporting himself several times to the office of CSP Kayumba to plot the theft.
As Twizere said, he was requested to check balance on inmates’ ATM cards where he established the amount of money possessed by Kassem.
CSP Kayumba who was also present in court immediately appealed against the ruling.
He had appeared in court for the first time along with co-accused, ten months ago.
The Prosecution has announced plans to file an appeal few days following the sentence handed to Niyonsenga.
The young man was convicted of four crimes including forgery, impersonation, and criminal obstruction of security officials and humiliating state officials.
“Prosecution has lodged a 2nd appeal in the case against Niyonsenga Dieudonné alias Cyuma Hassan. The grounds for appeal is to correct an error convicting Cyuma for the crime of humiliating public service officials, a crime that was repealed in 2019,” reads the statement released by NPPA on Tuesday 16th November 2021.
The Prosecution has requested that the other three charges, related to assault and criminal obstruction of security officials, practicing journalism without the required permit, forgery and presenting forged press cards as well as the sentence remain unchanged.
The crimes were committed on 15th April 2020 when he declined to obey security officials that requested him to comply with COVID-19 preventive measures.
At the time, he was arrested and later acquitted by Gasabo Intermediary Court. The Prosecution appealed against the verdict whereafter, he was handed seven-year sentence by the High Court which also ordered his arrest. He was detained on 11th November 2021 one day after court delivered the verdict.
Dr. Kayumba is accused of rape attempt to rape crimes.
The court has stated that there are evidences pinning the suspect on sexual assault accusation filed by the latter’s former home servant which prompted the remand.
The court has also explained that Dr. Kayumba’s profile portrays him as a journalist running his own media house which he would use to tamper with evidences once released.
The Presiding judge has said that the suspect and his defense lawyer, Jean Bosco Ntirenganya have five days to appeal against the decision at Nyarugenge Intermediary Court.
Dr. Kayumba, 50, has been denying accusations linking his detention to political reasons.
He requested his release explaining that he cannot rape a house servant.
Dr. Kayumba appeared in court on 28th September 2021 at Kicukiro Primary Court for hearing on his release or remand.
The ruling has been read virtually.
The suspect was detained at Kicukiro Police Station early September 2021.
Harrison Mutabazi, the Spokesperson for the Judiciary has told IGIHE that the ruling was read on Thursday September 2021 at the headquarters of the aforementioned court.
Idamange, 42, was arrested on 15th February 2021 few days after featuring in series of talk shows aired on YouTube where she called on people to wage riots at Presidency Office.
She appeared in court for first time on 4th March 2021 for hearing on remand or release on bail.
