Cape Town - The Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Friday postponed the case against Rwandan genocide suspect Fulgence Kayishema after his lawyer, Juan Smuts, asked for time to consult his client.
The request came as the State told the court that it had increased the initial five charges Kayishema faced to 54.
Of the 54 charges, 35 are contraventions of the Immigration Act, 10 are to do with infringements of the Refugee Act and nine relate to fraud.
Friday was Kayishema’s third appearance in court.
At his second appearance a week earlier, prosecutor Nathan Adriaanse asked for a postponement saying the State was still examining new evidence.
Adriaanse had on that occasion committed to drafting a complete charge sheet to give to the defence by June 5, however, the defence only got the comprehensive charge sheet early on Tuesday.
Asking for more time, Smuts told the court that they had not been aware that Kayishema had been moved from Pollsmoor to Helderstroom Prison in Caledon, and this had made it difficult for them to consult with him.
Adriaanse did not oppose the request and agreed it was in the interest of justice for the case to be postponed to allow the defence to consult their client.
Kayishema, who was believed to be one of Rwanda’s most wanted men, stands accused of ordering the death of 2 000 people hiding in a church during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
He was arrested three weeks ago, under an allegedly false name, on a grape farm in Paarl in response to an Interpol red notice. The UN and Interpol had been looking for him since 2001 for crimes against humanity in Rwanda.
The case has been postponed to June 20, for consultation and for defence to indicate whether they intend to apply for bail.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za