Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has said that preliminary investigations in the case against Paul Rusesabagina have been concluded and his file will be handed to prosecution on Wednesday, September 9. This was confirmed to The New Times on Tuesday by Dr. Thierry Murangira, the acting Spokesperson of the investigations body. Prosecution has five days within which to take the suspect to court for mention of his case, according to Rwandan laws of criminal procedure. Rusesabagina was 10 days ago paraded before the media by RIB saying his arrest was in relation to an outstanding international arrest warrant that had been issued against him some time back. Lawyer speaks out He is accused of terrorism, arson, kidnap and murder, and is being detained at Remera Police Station, and two Rwandan lawyers, Emeline Nyembo and David Rugaza are defending him. In an exclusive interview with The New Times, Rugaza said that he and his colleague have met their client multiple times, at times more than once a day, saying he is in good health and has spoken to his family members. “I have been meeting him whenever he calls for me, including today (Tuesday) when we were together until the evening, and he has been allowed to speak to his family – the wife and the children,” Rugaza said. He said they have already filed an application for Rusesabagina’s bond to ensure the investigations can continue while he is out of custody, adding that they were waiting for a response. “We think it is legal for my client to be investigated when he’s out of detention, and so we have applied for his provisional release. That is what we are dealing with,” he noted. Reacting to allegations by activists and sections of media organisations that he was not a bonafide attorney to the 66-year old Rusesabagina, Rugaza said he has no knowledge of such, adding that even his client had not given him that impression. “I am not aware of those claims, but even if his family may have appointed other lawyers, I don’t see anything wrong because it is legal. We can even collaborate on the case,” he said. An American activist announced on Monday that they had lined up seven lawyers, all but one foreign advocate, to defend Rusesabagina. Many members of the alleged defence team are members of a close-knit group of defence lawyers who have previously defended Rwandan convicts at the now-defunct International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. According to Rugaza, he and his colleague took on Rusesabagina’s case on pro bono basis, and that they were both chosen by Rusesabagina himself after being presented with a long list of lawyers available on the roaster by Rwanda Bar Association. Among other crimes, he is accused of committing terror attacks against unarmed, innocent Rwandan civilians on Rwandan territory including attacks in Nyabimata, Nyaruguru District in June 2018, and in Nyungwe, Nyamagabe District in December 2018. Rusesabagina is the head of an outfit calling itself MRCD, whose armed outfit FLN has made incursions into Rwanda, killing innocent civilians. He has also previously appeared in the media claiming responsibility for atrocities by the militia group that is based in the Democratic Republic of Congo and whose operatives have roamed freely in other neighbouring countries, Burundi and Uganda.
