The alleged “financier” of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda appeared on Wednesday 11 November 2020 at the International Tribunal in The Hague for the first time. He pleaded not guilty.
The 80-year-old was arrested on 16 May 2020 in Asnières-sur-Seine, France, after 23 years on the run. Félicien Kabuga managed to escape the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1997 thanks to his strong network and his wealth. Neither Washington nor its Interpol file, nor even a bid of $5 million, had made it possible to find the businessman. The latter has long continued its trade in northern Rwanda from Kenya thanks to the support of the former president.
He is being prosecuted on seven counts, including genocide and complicity in genocide.However, he does not recognize the crimes for which he was charged, pleading not guilty during the hearing in which he briefly spoke.
During this hearing which is not yet the opening of a trial, the prosecutor Serge Brammertz in charge of this case and his teams are working on updating the indictment act which dates from 2011 or 10 years.Testimony already available and probably more to come will be added to the court record. This part of the work could be completed by mid-January, according to the prosecutor.
As a reminder, the Rwandan genocide had caused 800,000 deaths mainly of Tutsis according to the UN.
