A Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) soldier who was convicted of treason has appealed against a 10- year jail sentence handed to him by the Military High Court. Private Innocent Munyembabazi appealed to the Supreme Court arguing that the lower court did not hear from the defence witnesses he had fronted. “I had gone to DRC to visit my sister who had given birth but I had not gone to plot against the government as the prosecution says, I requested the previous court to take me to the crime scene and get details of my travel but they did not,” Munyembabazi pleaded to the court yesterday. Dressed in army fatigues, Munyembabazi requested the court to interrogate residents of Bugangari, in Gisenyi where he used to stay. Military prosecution represented by Lt. Denis Ruyonza submitted in court that Munyembabazi had deserted the RDF and joined a rebel group in DRC and was later arrested as he tried to infiltrate the country to spy. After hearing from both parties, court announced that the verdict would be pronounced on September 25. On the same date, Supreme Court will also read the verdict of Jean Pierre Sinaruhamagaye who is accused of the murder and dismemberment of Claudine Uwimana. Sinaruhamagaye who had been sentenced to life imprisonment is appealing for more thorough investigations into his case arguing that the deceased was driven to hospital by a local leader which makes the latter a potential witness. “If the deceased was taken by someone to the hospital then she must have told him who cut her arms but Musanze High Court ignored that. It was not me who cut her arms,” pleaded Sinaruhamagaye. He instead accuses infiltrators from the DRC of chopping of Uwimana’s hands. Ends
