Bugingo trial begins in Oslo

Oslo – Genocide suspect Sadi Bugingo stared impassively as a Norwegian prosecutor read out name after name of scores of his alleged victims at the start of his trial in a special courtroom at the Oslo District Court, in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on Tuesday. Bugingo is accused of directing killings at Economat Generale in Ngoma (former Kibungo town), the main hospital in Ngoma, Zaza and other locations in the Eastern Province during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The trial is only the second to be held in Court Room 250, a high security court room, especially built for the trial of convicted Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in a shooting and bombing spree in Norway last year. The prosecution will produce witnesses who will prove that the accused was responsible for the crimes he is charged with, Lead Prosecutor Petter Mandt said in his opening statement. Bugingo, sitting in the place previously occupied by Breivik, denied all charges.The former businessman has been in custody since his arrest in the west Norway city of Bergen in 2011. He had worked as a cleaner since his arrival in Norway in 1999. Following Bugingos two-day opening statement, witnesses from Rwanda will begin testifying in the trial next week. Eighty witnesses are scheduled to testify for the prosecution while 26 will defend the accused.Some of the witnesses, including infamous leader of the Interahamwe militia in Kibungo, Emmanuel Habimana alias Cyasa, serving a life sentence in Rwanda--described by the prosecution as one of its key witnesses--and others from Rwanda, Zambia and Belgium will testify via video conference. The trial attended by Norwegians and Rwandans resident in Norway has attracted substantial media attention in the Scandinavian country, since it is the first time for Norway to try a suspect for crimes committed in the genocide.The prosecutor indicated that he will be arguing that Bugingo was a wealthy businessman who used his money and contacts to mobilise and carry out brutal killings in and around Ngoma. Witnesses are expected to testify that, for instance, Bugingo lent his car out to militiamen to use in killings in Kibungo, personally manned and inspected roadblocks and other crimes. Bugingo has pleaded not guilty to all charges.In his opening remarks, the prosecutor said the trial of Bugingo was a result of initial contact made by Rwanda in 2002 to try and apprehend Genocide suspects in Norway. He said that the Government of Rwanda had given his team of investigators unrestrained access to everyone they wanted, enabling them to do an extensive investigation without any interference. A judgement in the trial is expected towards the end of the year.

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Bugingo trial begins in Oslo