The intermediate court of Nyarugenge in Kigali on Friday decided to postpone the corruption trial of the former Rwandan state minister in charge of Culture, Edouard Bamporiki, to September 21, after the defendant asked for more time to prepare his lawyer.
Bamporiki is accused of corruption crimes and has been under house arrest since May 5th.
During the hearing on Friday, the prosecution said it was a fair request since it was his right to have legal representation in a criminal proceeding.
Bamporiki was suspended from the cabinet on May 5 and placed under house arrest following allegations of his involvement in corruption.
The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) had preferred to charge Bamporiki with soliciting, accepting or offering illegal benefit, a crime provided for and punishable by article 04 of the law on fighting against corruption.
The mentioned article provides that any person who solicits, accepts or receives, by any means, an illegal benefit for himself or another person or accepts a promise in order to render or omit a service under his mandate or uses his position to render or omit a service commits an offence.
On the punitive measures, the law states that upon conviction, he is liable to imprisonment for a term of more than five years but not more than seven years with a fine of three to five times the value of the illegal benefit solicited received.
Penalties mentioned, according to the law, “apply to a person who offers or promises to offer a benefit, by any means, an illegal benefit for him/ herself or another person to have a service rendereor omitted.”
Apart from his political career, Bamporiki is a filmmaker.
“Long Coat” is one of his most famous films.
It is the true story of a survivor of the 1994 genocide which focuses on leaving one’s past behind.
CU/as/APA