Prosecutors have asked for life jail term for former police officers accused of murder of Transparency International (TI), Rwanda staff who was killed last year. Gustave Makonene, former coordinator for anti-corruption body Transparency International, was found dead in July 2013 in Rubavu District. Prosecution concluded its arguments yesterday and prayed Rubavu High Court to hand Corporals Nelson Iyakaremye and Isaac Ndabarinze life sentences for the alleged murder of Makonene. His body was found by residents on the shores of Lake Kivu in Nyamvumba Sector, Rubavu District a day after he went missing. Ndabarinze was arrested in Kigali in September, while his co-accused was in jail over mineral smuggling. The suspects killed Makonene because he was aware of their involvement in mineral smuggling -helping smugglers from DR Congo to Rwanda, prosecutor Vincent Niyonzima told court presided over by Esron Gashyende. Niyonzima said the two men had refused to heed the advice of the deceased to stop their activities. Due to the gravity of the crime which was planned and executed, the suspects only deserve the heaviest sentence-life in jail, prosecution said. Both suspects testified during the trial Tuesday that they planned to kill Makonene because he was a barrier to their business. They recounted how they led the victim from Labamba bar, handcuffed and bundled him into a waiting car before strangling him using a rope. The men requested court for forgiveness and a light sentence, arguing that they had eased both prosecution and Police work by pleading guilty to the charges during investigations. But prosecution said they failed to prove where they got the car from and where they got the rope and maintained that the suspects deserved life in jail. The court will deliver its verdict on January 22, 2015. In statement on Monday, Marie Immaculée Ingabire, the Chairperson of Transparency International Rwanda welcomed the court proceedings, adding that it was a good move that would reveal the truth. “This is a good step, and we are happy that within a short time these suspects are now appearing in court. We hope that soon we will know the truth about the death of Gustave.” The suspects were paraded before media three months ago. Makonene had joined Transparency International Rwanda in 2011 and was working as a coordinator of the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre in Rubavu until his death.
