The pre-trial hearing of the case involving former youth, sports and culture minister Robert Bayigamba, has been postponed until next week. Bayigamba faces charges of fraud where he is said to have allegedly used fraudulent means to sell property which did not belong to him. According to Harrison Mutabazi, the Spokesperson of the Judiciary, the postponement was at the request of prosecution filed at the Nyarugenge Primary Court owing to the fact that prosecutors held their General Assembly on Wednesday. Bayigamba, who has been in custody since October 22, was first arraigned before the court last week, but he could not take plea, because at that time he did not have his lawyer in court. Since leaving the cabinet, he has been engaged in private business and was at one time the Chairperson of the Private Sector Federation (PSF). His case revolves around a controversial sale of three high-value pieces of land to two different parties. It is alleged that the ex-Minister took an advance payment on the sale from one of the buyers, and went ahead to sell the land to another individual and efforts for the first buyer to recover his money have remained futile. It is also said that the original title deeds for the same pieces of land had been deposited with two creditors for whom Bayigamba owed money. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
