Kicukiro Primary Court on Friday found four men guilty of distributing sexually explicit content linked to musician Florien Uworizagwira, commonly known as Yampano, sentencing each to three years in prison and a fine of Rwf 3 million. The case traces back to November 9 last year when a sex tape involving the musician circulated widely across social media platforms including WhatsApp and X. Yampano filed a complaint naming Patrick Ishimwe, his former manager, as the person who had taken the video from his phone and facilitated its spread online. Arrests followed in the weeks after, with RIB apprehending Patrick Ishimwe along with four other people suspected of involvement in spreading the video. ALSO READ: Singer Yampano sues suspect behind leaked sex tape After hearing the case, the court has convicted four of the suspects. The convicts: Cyprien Uzabakiriho, commonly known as Djihad; François Xavier Ishimwe; Nestor Kwizera; and John Kalisa, were sentenced for disseminating explicit material. A fifth co-accused, Patrick Ishimwe, commonly known as Pazzo Man, was acquitted after the court determined that evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to link him to the distribution of the footage. The court noted that although the video was found on Ishimwe’s phone, prosecutors did not establish how he obtained it or prove that he had shared it with any third party. The ruling: In its reasoning, the court found that François Xavier Ishimwe had stored the video on his phone and shared it across WhatsApp groups, while Nestor Kwizera requested the footage and later passed it on to John Kalisa, actions which constituted the crime of distribution of such content. The court further ruled that Kalisa, who had also requested the video and showed it to others, was equally culpable. Regarding Uzabakiriho, the court held that his administration of a WhatsApp group with 989 members where the video was shared, as well as posting a screenshot of the footage on his status and referencing it in conversations, demonstrated intent to facilitate its dissemination. K John, who was granted bail on December 27and has been following proceedings while out of custody, was also found guilty.
