Rwandan genocide charge appeal rejected

January 16 2007 at 01:40PM

Arusha, Tanzania - Former Rwandan finance minister Emmanuel Ndindabahizi, jailed for life over his role in the 1994 genocide, had his appeal against conviction rejected by a court on Tuesday.

A five-judge panel from the UN's International Criminal Tribunalfor Rwanda (ICTR) upheld the sentence handed down in July 2004 when he was convicted of genocide and two counts of crimes against humanity (extermination and murder).

Ndindabahizi sat expressionless as the unanimous verdict was handed down in the court which is based in Rwanda's larger neighbour Tanzania.

The judges said there was clear evidence Ndindabahizi had supplied weapons used to kill ethnic Tutsis, aided and encouraged genocidal crimes, as well as personally leading attacks by fellow Hutus and giving orders for individual killings in his home province of Kibuye in April 1994.

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Ndindabahizi has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming that he was only arrested after falling out with the ICTR prosecution to whom he had previously provided information.

He was arrested in Verviers, Belgium, in July 2001 and transferred to Arusha's detention facility in September of the same year.

Formed in late 1994, the ICTR, tasked with trying the masterminds of the Rwandan massacre, has to date convicted 27 suspects and aquitted five.

Ndindabahizi is one of four former government ministers to have been sentenced by the ICTR.

Two other former cabinet members, ex-transport minister Andre Ntagerura and former education minister Andre Rwamakuba, have also been acquitted.

Around 800 000 people, mainly minority Tutsis, were killed during the 1994 genocide. - Sapa-AFP