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French court rejects request to release Rwandan genocide suspect
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A French court has rejected a request to release Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga under court supervision.
The court on Wednesday denied his lawyer’s argument that Kabuga should be released on bail because of poor health, saying continued detention ensured he would not abscond. Kabuga can appeal the decision.
The genocide suspect, meanwhile, told the court the international charges against him were “lies”.
Kabuga, who was arrested near Paris earlier this month after more than 20 years on the run, is accused of financing and arming the ethnic Hutu militias that slaughtered some 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus in 1994.
The one-time tea and coffee tycoon was seated in a wheelchair at the front of the court, with his hands folded in his lap, wearing a blue shirt and dark blue trousers as well as a face mask.
Asked if he understood the charges made by a United Nations tribunal, Kabuga told the court through an interpreter: “All of this is lies. I have not killed any Tutsis. I was working with them.”
He confirmed his identity saying he was born in 1933, rather than 1935 as stated in court documents.
“It’s a major arrest but of course we must respect the presumption of innocence,” Etienne Nsanzimana, a Rwanda genocide survivor, told Al Jazeera.
“He was one of the main figures of the old Rwanda and he was wanted on several charges – so it’s a huge relief he has been caught.”
According to an indictment from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Kabuga chaired the notorious Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) and used it to incite hatred between Hutus and Tutsis.
The indictment alleges RTLM “incited the commission of genocide through broadcasts that expressly identified persons as Tutsis, provided their locations, described them as the enemy, and called for their elimination”.
Kabuga also agreed with others to create and fund a militia in the capital, Kigali, with the aim of stirring up ethnic hatred and committing genocide against Tutsis, according to the indictment.
Should the Paris Court of Appeal approve Kabuga’s extradition, it will order him to be handed over to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.
– AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu has questioned why Ghana continues to import toothpicks despite having the resources to produce them locally.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr. Iddrisu, who previously served as Minister for Trade and Industry, said he feels ashamed that the country still depends on imports for such a basic product.
“I have been Minister for Trade and Industry before and I carry the shame. How come that in Ghana we cannot produce toothpicks and we have to import them?” he asked.
According to him, Ghana has enough resources to support local businesses to manufacture products such as toothpicks instead of relying on imports. He said the country should encourage private sector investment in manufacturing to create jobs and reduce dependence on foreign goods.
Mr. Iddrisu alleged that some people who received government support under private sector initiatives failed to use the funds for their intended purpose.
“If you want, Honorable Kojo, because you… I can’t go there. There are people who took money in the name of the private sector and said they were going to farm. That money never went to their farms. You know that,” he told Parliament.
On job creation, the Education Minister said he agreed with the views expressed by a colleague on the need to create more employment opportunities. However, he argued that the One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme did not provide the solution to Ghana’s employment challenges.
Mr. Iddrisu made the remarks during parliamentary proceedings while contributing to discussions on job creation and the country’s industrial development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications officer, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has dismissed reports linking him to an alleged GH¢55 million case, insisting that no such issue was raised during his detention by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
In a Facebook post after his release from EOCO custody, Mr Aboagye stated that at no point during his detention was he questioned about any GH¢55 million.
“For the records: There was no discussion of any GH¢55 million with me by EOCO. None,” he wrote.
According to him, he was detained for four days, a day after announcing his intention to contest for the position of National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party.
Mr Aboagye alleged that false narratives were circulated about his arrest but expressed confidence that the truth would eventually prevail.
He thanked NPP supporters who demonstrated and called for his release, saying news of the protests reached him while he was in detention and encouraged him.
Mr Aboagye indicated that the support shown by party faithful strengthened his resolve and reaffirmed his commitment to serve the NPP.
He maintained that his detention had not discouraged him from pursuing his political ambition.
“If the intention was to break me, it has failed. If the intention was to scare me, it has failed spectacularly,” he stated.
Mr Aboagye expressed appreciation to his legal team, the leadership of the NPP and all supporters who stood by him throughout his detention.
He reiterated his determination to lead the party’s Communications Directorate, declaring that he remained “ready to win” and committed to what he described as the party’s mission to “command the narrative.”
By: Jacob Aggrey
