Prosecution seeks 25 years for actor Ndimbati over defilement

Prosecution has requested judges at Nyarugenge Intermediate Court to hand a 25-year prison sentence to local actor Jean-Bosco Uwihoreye, commonly known as Ndimbati. Ndimbati is suspected of defiling and intoxicating a minor. On Tuesday, September 13, Ndimbati’s hearing began in substance and by around 8:30AM journalists and local YouTubers had already filled up the trial chamber of the Nyamirambo-based court. It was expected that Ndimbati would physically appear before court but at around 8:50AM, the clerk announced that it would take a hybrid form, where the suspect and his lawyers will follow the proceedings from prison while the judges and the rest of audience would be in the courtroom. According to prosecution, Ndimbati defiled the victim on the night of December 24 in 2019 after he lured her with prospects of supporting her to start a career in the film industry. The act resulted in the victim conceiving and later giving birth to a set of twins. Prosecutors said that there is documentary evidence to the effect that the victim was a minor by the time the alleged crime was committed. There were also witness accounts attesting that the victim, on the Christmas eve of 2019 did not sleep in her home, prosecutors said, adding that for the two crimes of intoxicating a minor and defiling her, he should be sentenced to 25 years. However, Ndimbati said that he was shocked that the prosecution was still presenting the same evidence which he maintained are lies fabricated by people who want to tarnish his name. Ndimbati claimed that the alleged victim was not minor by the time he sired the children with her, saying that documents were presented to court showing her age was forged adding that on the said night (December 24) he was not in Kigali. He added that the case started as blackmail, where a local YouTuber who had interviewed the alleged victim, had initially reached out to him seeking Rwf2m for him not to publish the said interview. He further said that he has always taken care of the children the best way he could. Ndimbati further added that to show the inconsistency in the case presented by prosecution, he had evidence to the effect that he slept with the victim on January 2 and not December 24 as prosecutors allege. He maintained that he had consensual sex with someone who was of sound mind and legally an adult, and asked court to release him from jail so he can take care of his children. Meanwhile, court also heard from the civil party, where two lawyers representing the victim’s father requested damages worth Rwf30 million. However, the defence lawyer Irénée Bayisabe immediately requested the court to ignore that civil party saying that the victim is an adult to represent herself instead of being presented by her father among other factors. After listening to all parties, the presiding judge said that the civil part case will be considered later and set the ruling on September 29.

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Prosecution seeks 25 years for actor Ndimbati over defilement