APA – Kigali (Rwanda) – The Nyarugenge intermediate Court in Kigali city on Friday sentenced Fidele Gakire, the former Managing Director of online Ishema Newspaper to five-year jail terms over forgery.
Gakire, a former member of the Rwandan government operating from exile was found guilty of forgery and the Rwanda court sentenced him to five years in prison and fined 3 million Rwandan francs (about $ 2,800 USD).
He was convicted of using fake documents, including a passport issued by the “fake authority” when he returned to Rwanda from the United States in December last year where he was still seeking asylum.
While in the United States, Gakire was heard criticizing the Rwandan government and joined the so-called exiled government where he was Minister of Public service and Labour.
At the end of last year, it was reported that Gakire was detained in the Kigali Central Prison in Mageragere, located in the suburb of Kigali city.
According to the Presiding judge, Gakire left Rwanda in 2018 for the United States, where he obtained a permanent residence permit.
The judge said that when he decided to return back to Rwanda, Gakire was found with a “fake travel document” given to him by the Government in exile.
However, the defendant, who did not have a lawyer, said he decided to return back to Rwanda to distance himself from this bad politics, saying that the alleged “fake document” was not a real passport he used anywhere.
Gakire said that before he decided to return back to Rwanda, he spoke to Maj. Gen. Joseph Nsabamwita, a senior Rwandan intelligence officer who encouraged him to return back home.
Maj. Gen Joseph Nzabamwita is the Secretary-General of Rwanda’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).
CU/abj/APA