Judgment on postponement of Mugesera trial set for Friday

Léon Mugesera and one of his lawyers in court during an earlier session in May. (file photo)

The Kigali High Court on Monday announced that it will next Friday deliver its verdict on Leon Mugesera’s appeal to be granted nearly four months to scrutinize his dossier.

Mugesera has requested the High Court three months and 24 days to study his 240-page dossier; the same time, the accused says, the prosecution took before handing the file to him.

“The prosecution took 3 months and 24 days analyzing the dossier; and that is why I’m requesting the same time to be able to analyze everything in the file, in respect of the principle of equity and equality,” Mugesera told the court.

Mugesera had appealed to the High Court on May 24 against the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court’s decision after the presiding judge Saudah Murere had rejected his request to be given more time to study his dossier.

Reacting on the request, the prosecutor said the appeal was baseless and that it aims to delay the trial procedures, adding that Mugesera has had enough time to prepare his defense since his extradition from Canada in January.

But Jean-Felix Rudakemwa, one of Mugesera’s lawyers, argued that his client deserves more time as he got the file late, on May 18, adding that the law provides that the accused should get his dossier earlier.

The court ruled that the decision on the request will be read on June 15 at 09 am.

Aged 60, Mugesera was deported from Canada in January this year and is accused of inciting people to exterminate Tutsis and spreading hate among people, as embodied in a speech he made in 1992 in Kibilira of the former Gisenyi prefecture.

Posted by Eric Didier Karinganire on Jun 12 2012. Filed under Daily News, National. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.