APA – Kigali (Rwanda) – The trial of former CEO of Miss Rwanda beauty contest Dieudonne Ishimwe a.k.a Prince Kid will resume Friday before high court in Kigali with the prosecution filing appeal against the defendant’s latest acquittal by a court in Kigali, a judicial source confirmed to APA Thursday in Kigali
According to the prosecution, the evidence presented was never given full consideration on the first instance.
The defendant was acquitted by the Intermediate Court of Nyarugenge in Kigali city in December last year.
Ishimwe is the head of Rwanda Inspiration Backup, the company behind the annual Miss Rwanda pageant. He has been the boss of Rwanda Inspiration Back Up since 2009.
He was facing three charges including rape, soliciting or offering sexual favours, and harassment. Initiatial accusation details indicate that suspect, cornered at several occasions the contestants in Miss Rwanda pageants, promising then that he had the ability to help them sail through the competition and win the crown.
Following the incident, Rwanda’s ministry of Youth and Culture decided to suspend the beauty pangeant contest pending ongoing investigation into alleged sexual assault by organisers.
Reacting to the incident, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that even though the issue [of sextortion] was reported in Miss Rwanda, in other institutions including in central government and in the army, sexual abuse is becoming a concern.
“It’s really bad and we should denounce it. But girls, women themselves should understand that men don’t own them,” Kagame said.
CU/abj/APA