Nyarugenge Intermediate Court handed a one-year suspended sentence, along with a fine of Rwf 2 million, to Abed Mutimura, for illegally flying a drone while shooting a videos. Mutimura, a showbiz videographer commonly known as AB Godwin, Mutimura was found guilty of owning an unregistered unmanned aircraft and unauthorized use of a drone. Later on, he lodged an appeal with the court, challenging the decision of the lower court. The initial ruling imposed a two-year prison sentence along with a fine of Rwf 5 million. ALSO READ: Court starts hearing appeal for videographer jailed over illegal drone use The lower court had previously ruled that Mutimura would serve half of his sentence in jail while the other half was suspended implying that he serves only one year in jail. However, following the court's appeal verdict on August 17, he is now set for release and will serve a one-year suspended sentence instead of the previous punishment. Additionally, his fine has been reduced from Rwf 5 million to Rwf 2 million. ALSO READ: Showbiz videographer sent to jail for flying unauthorised drones On July 5’s appeal hearing, Mutimura and his lawyer put forward various arguments in support of his appeal case. He pointed out that he appealed citing sickness as the reason and emphasizing that he has a scheduled appointment in Kenya this month. He further mentioned that he recently got married and has a child that he wishes to take care of. As a result, he requested a suspended sentence. On the other hand, his lawyer highlighted that the lower court disregarded the fact that Mutimura was unaware of the requirement for drones to have permissions based on the regulations governing civil aviation. ALSO READ: You want to fly a drone in Rwanda? Here's what you're required to do Mutimura's lawyer emphasized that he had never used the drones in prohibited spaces; instead, he had used them solely for recording wedding and music videos. The lawyer argued that he has learned valuable lessons during his time in correctional facilities over the past months. Additionally, they requested a reduction in the fine imposed, proposing a lower amount of Rwf 500,000 instead of the original Rwf 5 million that was issued by the lower court. Mutimura was arraigned a few days after his arrest. During the previous trial, the prosecution emphasized that he utilized his two drones to shoot multiple video clips. Several witnesses testified, confirming that Mutimura had used drones in the production of their projects, including music videos and movies, among others.
