20100717
allafrica

Kigali — The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, on Thursday, denied bail to the two suspects in the murder of local journalist, Jean Leonard Rugambage, citing the gravity of the charges the two are facing.

Court ruled that the evidence presented by prosecution implicates the duo, Didace Nduguyangu and Antoine Karemera, in the murder of Rugambage who was shot on June 24. Nduguyangu admitted to committing the murder, while Karemera denied any involvement.

"Based on the evidence submitted by prosecution and the seriousness of the charges, as stipulated by the law, Didace Nduguyangu and Antoine Karemera, will be provisionally detained pending more investigations into the case," Sauda Murerehe, the Vice President of Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, pronounced.

The Judge considered arguments by prosecution that the two, if released, could escape and that the severity of the charges including illegal possession of firearms (on Nduguyangu) and murder which the two are jointly accused of.

Court also considered seriously the linkage between the two suspects and that there are strong reasons to suspect that the two were accomplices in the murder.

The two suspects, flanked by their lawyers, listened quietly as the judge delivered the verdict. Family members of the two men parked the courtroom. It was not revealed whether the two will appeal the bail ruling.

On Wednesday, Nduguyangu, told the court that he killed Rugambage out of frustration and anger, resulting from the fact that he (Rugambage) had been released under unclear circumstances after serving half the sentence from a Gacaca court.

Nduguyangu alleged that Rugambage killed Jean de Dieu Munyambabazi, a brother of Karemera. Rugambage, a former soldier in the Genocidal forces was sentenced to two years by a Gacaca court, but was released after serving one year.

"We were not happy by the way Rugambage used to mock us and assuring us how our efforts to have him imprisoned failed and even went ahead to mockingly invite us to his wedding," Nduguyangu claimed.

"We then agreed to revenge. I am the one who went to his house, waited for him to come home and I shot him as he came out of the car and, thereafter, I ran to Mount Kigali to hide the gun," Nduguyangu told court on Wednesday.

Munyambabazi, Karemera's brother, was a manager of Banque Populaire branch in Lunda, Kamonyi District.

Rugambage was shot dead on June 24, as he entered his home in Nyakabanda, a Kigali City suburb.

According to the Prosecution, it is suspected that Rugambage was shot three times in the head by Nduguyangu using a pistol T14-6234 he had acquired from DR Congo.