02 June 2010
Kigali: On May 25 Police paraded one Uwizeye Theophile before journalists over a supposed failed arson attack on PS Imberakuri splinter faction chief Christine Mukabonane. But as RNA investigations show, the dates and series of events provided by Police are questionable, the suspected arsonist was a personal bodyguard for Bernard Ntaganda – the original head of PS Imberakuri, and the other accomplice Pasteur Noel Hakizimfura could be a victim of circumstances.
The embattled Bernard Ntaganda has planned several assassinations on the leader of the splinter faction – including the recent failed arson attack on Christine Mukabonane, according to sources on both sides of the split party.
RNA has also established that the alleged arsonist Uwayezu Theophile paraded by Police before the press on May 25 over the planned murder of Mukabonane has been a personal bodyguard to Bernard Ntaganda. The youthful suspect instead told investigators that the plan had been hatched by Pasteur Noel Hakizimfura, the VP in the Mukabonane faction.
As part of our investigation, we have also found out that the failed arson attack on Mukabonane happened on May 15 2010. Police had told the press that the failed assassination took place on May 24 - Monday last week.
RNA can also exclusively reveal that weeks before his arrest, Mr. Hakizimfura allegedly told a “security officer” that he was disappointed because of not having any serious post in the PS Imberakuri splinter faction. Mr. Hakizimfura supposedly said he would flee the country and reveal “everything” that he had been “forced” to do, but had “not been rewarded”.
Amid seconds of hesitation, Ntaganda denied knowing Uwayezu Theophile. He also accused government in the interview of sowing discord in PS Imberakuri to create what he called as “PS Imberakuri Power”.
He was referring to the extremist political parties that had been in Rwandan politics over the past decades. What has been common with all of them is they were splinter factions from existing parties.
Genesis
In early March, Mr. Hakizimfura is said to have connived with then PS Imberakuri VP Ms. Mukabonane, Mr. Niyitegeka Augustin and up to 15 other senior officials to defect from the party leader Bernard Ntaganda. Disagreements emerged among them as to who should lead the faction.
A group of the 19 defectors organized a delegates’ congress on March 18 where they ousted Mr. Ntaganda, and set up new structures. However, prior to the conference, party sources tell RNA they were given a “list” of those who should lead the party, and Mr. Hakizimfura was not happy with the post of Vice president. All were hesitant to reveal the identities of the individuals who gave them the “list”.
Over the following weeks, Mr. Hakizimfura is said to have made his feelings known to the forces behind the new PS Imberakuri faction.
Around the same period, ousted party chief Ntaganda Bernard is reported to have vowed never to forgive Christine Mukabonane and her group for destroying his party. RNA has been told that in one of the assassination attempts on Mukabonane planned by Ntanganda, she was supposed to have been attacked around the Kigali Institute of Education in the Kimironko suburb of Kigali.
Disagreements arose among the gang which had been prepared by Mr. Ntaganda to attack Mukabonane, and the mission fell though. In a late night meeting held in Mr. Ntaganda’s house in Nyamirambo, sources say he was exploding with rage over the failed plan. He is reported to have banished this particular gang – vowing never to see them.
But he was not done. Days before the May 15 arson attack, arrested Uwayezu Theophile, Ntaganda’s bodyguard, disappeared and at some point made several calls to different people, telling them about the “plan in the East”. RNA has been told this plan was probably referring to Mukabonane’s home in Kayonza district where she is permanently based.
Preliminary investigations found that Uwayezu Theophile had used his phone to send a message to Mukabonane supposedly before setting on the fire. The SMS message was warning Mukabonane that she and her family were paying for interfering with other peoples’ political interests.
Uwayezu Theophile arrested
RNA has been informed by our sources that after sending this particular message, Uwayezu Theophile switched off the phone and probably destroyed it because it has never been turned on.
Police detectives are said to have found Uwayezu’s number in the phone of Mr. Niyitegeka Augustin – the Secretary General in the Mukabonane faction. After several days of searching, detectives landed on information suggesting that Uwayezu Theophile was Ntaganda’s bodyguard and had since the arson attack disappeared from public view.
Though supposed to be with Ntaganda as his boss everywhere he moved, including standing guard at his office and home, Uwayezu Theophile was nowhere to be seen. Detectives are said to have managed to track him and finally arrested him on Sunday March 23. The night of the same day, Pasteur Noel Hakizimfura was also taken into custody.
Two days later, he was paraded on state radio and TV where he articulately narrated that the arson attack was hatched by party VP Pasteur Noel Hakizimfura. In several media interviews, the victim Mukabonane said she was surprised it was her party official intent on killing her.
The suspect had told police that Pasteur Hakizimfura had wanted to replace his boss - to be the one carrying the party flag in the August 09 presidential polls.
Pasteur Noel Hakizimfura in court
As part of the deal to execute the attack, Hakizimfura apparently provided cash of 30,000 Francs (Approx. $52) which Uwayezu used to buy the assassination materials in Kayonza district. Uwayezu claims that Hakizimfura had promised to pay for him tuition to attend university education in Burundi if the plan was successfully executed.
The sources RNA has spoken to are wondering why Police has not arrested Ntaganda even when available evidence points to him. It is also not clear as to why the alleged arsonist Uwayezu Theophile has a version incriminating Pasteur Hakizimfura who claims through his wife that he never knew the arsonist.
It is also said that the alleged arsonist Uwizeye became a major player in the Ntaganda faction after PS Imberakuri had split in March. The insider sources from the Mukabonane faction who spoke to RNA say they got to know Uwizeye separately after they had fallen out with their former boss. Some say he could have joined the Ntaganda faction later.
Meanwhile, Pasteur Noel Hakizimfura’s wife has been crying foul over the case of her husband. She has seen him about three times in different detention centers including Kicukiro, Kacyiru and Kabuga. He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
The family of Pasteur Hakizimfura has been informed that the case could appear in court on Thursday if nothing remains unchanged.
Ntaganda responds
Meanwhile, Ntaganda’s coalition partners in the consultative platform for the so called opposition parties are scared they could also fall foul to Ntaganda’s actions - should be brought to book over the accusations. Separately, they are pleading for the case to be investigated as a matter of urgency.
For his part, Ntaganda was categorical on his defense. “I have never had any bodyguard because I do not need any,” he said. “I also do not have any personal knowledge of anybody by those names Uwayezu Theophile… he could be a party member.”
Taking a few seconds before responding to RNA questions, Mr. Ntaganda said what is happening now is similar to what happened in Rwanda during the early 1990s when ex-president Juvenal Habyarimana “formed PSD and PL to cause rifts in the opposition”.
He confirmed to RNA that since the split in the party, he has only met his ex-VP Mukabonane once at her home in Kayonza district. “I tried to speak to her so many times but she has completely refused and does not even pick my calls,” Ntaganda said when asked whether he had vowed never to forgive Mukabonane for breaking up his party.
The two met when Ntaganda was seeking to give Mukabonane a cheque from the Forum for Political parties. He did not say what the cheque was for, but said it was normal routine that money was coming from the Forum.
Mr. Ntaganda also accused RNA of “working” for the ruling party, also naming several local media. “Now I know that after you publishing the story, the others will also follow…and then the Police will arrest me…or I may also be killed,” he said.
But analysts say the opposition groups may have learnt from the Habyarimana presidency, and could be working on eliminating those in the same camp to undermine government.
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