NYAGATARE - Former Gatsibo district mayor, Jean Marie Vianney Murego, who lost his job over a corruption charge will have to wait until January next year for court to hear his case after his lawyer failed to turn up.

Prosecution accuses Murego of having contravened public procurement laws by sanctioning a 40 percent advance payment to the contractor  which had won the tender to construct Kabarore Health Centre.

Plan International- Rwanda was the financier of the construction works.

Appearing before Nyagatare Intermediary Court last week, Murego initially said he would defend himself in the absence of a lawyer but later changed his mind ‘I am not ready to make a defense without my lawyer,’ the embattled former mayor told court.

In the earlier hearing, Murego told the court that it was not his own decision which approved the advance payment but Plan Rwanda country director instructed the district to release advance payment.

In a related development, the trial of the former Gatsibo district director of infrastructure, Dickson Kimenyi also started.

Kimenyi was arrested in July this year for alleged mismanagement of state funds a charge he denies.

‘The prosecution is unfairly accusing me of mismanaging public funds yet I am not directly in charge of district’s coffers. I was in charge of infrastructure alone,” he said. "I intend to sue the prosecution for damages incurred during this wrongful accusation.”

Hearing continues this week.

Ends