Sunday, February 15, 2009

Rwanda Minister Rose Kabuye Back in Kigali

Sunday, 15th February 2009 E-mail article Print article

Rose Kabuye back in Kigali

Rose Kabuye met her children at Kigali International Airport soon after arriving from France yesterday

BY EDMUND KAGIRE

KICUKIRO - The Director of State Protocol, Rose Kabuye, yesterday arrived from France for a one month break before she returns to Paris to continue with Court hearings.

Dressed in a red top and a black trouser, typical of St. Valentines Day, Kabuye arrived in a private and low key arrangement aboard Flight 00-SFN SN Brussels to the welcome of her waiting family and several government officials.

Addressing a press conference at the airport shortly before she was whisked away, Kabuye flanked by her husband and 2 children said that she was accorded 30 days by the Judges to return home and be with her family to await her next hearing scheduled in a month’s time.

In regard to the case, a healthy looking Kabuye said that she is now confident like never before that she will triumph in the case levelled against her by French Judge Louis Bruguèire, alleging that her, and eight other top government officials played a role in downing the plane in which the former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana was killed.

“I heard the charges against me on my first appearance as you all know, and I must say that I am confident as ever that justice will prevail. Everybody knows that I never shot that plane” a beaming Kabuye said.

She however expressed concern that the process is slow and at what she referred to as a ‘preliminary stage’ but vowed to maintain patience until the final verdict is reached.

“I don’t know how many times I will be called but I am hopeful that in the next two or three hearings the case will be finalized for me to return home an innocent woman” Kabuye said confidently.

Asked whether she was able to meet Judge Bruguèire, Kabuye said that she has never met the judge who has since retired from the case, but instead appeared before two other French Court Judges who only asked her a few questions about her life, but not the case itself.

Kabuye was arrested in Germany on the 9th of November at Frankfurt at Frankfurt Airport before she was handed over to French authorities.

She was shortly released to return home and join her family for Christmas following a decision by the French Court to ease her bail conditions to allow her travel home.

She returned to France on the 9th of January and consequently appeared before the French Court on the 28th of January.

Not much progress has been registered by the controversial case hugely contested by the government of Rwanda.

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