Genocide suspect Dr Venant Rutunga is set to return to court this month for the continuation of the hearing of their cases in substance.
BWIZA has learnt that hearing will take place on September 19.
Rutunga is being tried by the High Court Chamber for International and Cross Border Crimes (HCCIC) in Nyanza.
Dr Rutunga, 72, was extradited from the Netherlands last year, and is facing three counts: Genocide, complicity in committing Genocide, and extermination as a crime against humanity.
The prosecution’s file indicates that he committed the alleged crimes between April 26 and 30, 1994 in the former Butare Prefecture.
During the Genocide, he was working as the Regional Director of the Rwanda Agricultural Research Institute (ISAR-Rubona), and used his position to commit a number of actions that led to loss of many lives, especially of former employees of the institution he was leading.
Among these, the prosecutors accused him of having instructed the Gendarmes (policemen) hunt for two of his Tutsi employees, Epaphrodite Kalisa and George Ndamaje, and kill them.
The prosecutors also pinned him on an incident where he allegedly drove a car and went to meet the then Prefect of Butare to request him for armed policemen to assist in killing the Tutsis who had successfully defended themselves against the Interahamwe.
Rutunga pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying he did not commit the crimes. He told court that he is being tried for he was powerful figure during former regime
For instance, though he admitted that he knew Ndamage and Kalisa, he never took part in their killing, arguing that those that killed them were tried and sentenced.
He also admitted that he went to meet with the Prefect of Butare and requested for policemen, but the aim was not to kill the Tutsi, but rather, “to defend ISAR from attacks by intruders” because he had learnt that there was an imminent attack that would happen.
In fact, he argued that, while he was away, the attackers came in, killed people and destroyed property, including his own house.
Last year, Kicukiro Primary Court remanded him, after resolving that there were reasonable grounds to suspect him of having committed the crimes for which he is being prosecuted.
