Assassination of Patrick Keregeya: The prosecutor has postponed the opening of the hearings

Late Col Patrick Karegeya

On 31 December 2013 in Johannesburg, Colonel and former Rwandan intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya was found dead in his hotel room. It took almost five years for the case to be brought to justice.

When the hearings begin in January, none of the two suspects will be present in Johannesburg assured the prosecutor. They are foreign nationals and live outside South Africa.

But this is not the most important for David Batenga, the nephew of Patrick Karegeya. “We have never been in this position in the past. This is the first time in four years, ten months and one day that I have been in court to get justice done. I am both curious and optimistic that South African justice is working, “he says.

Patrick Karegeya, 53, was living in exile in South Africa when he was killed in this hotel room in Sandton, a suburb of Johannesburg.

Over 50 witnesses will be heard. The prosecutor has postponed the opening of the hearings until January 16 to be able to reunite them and call them to the bar.

Patrick Karegeya’s family will receive legal support from Afriforum, a South African legal association, to negotiate a possible extradition procedure.

“The two countries will have to cooperate, says the family’s lawyer, Kennedy Gihana. If we discover that the Rwandan government has information to provide, such as the location of the suspects, for example, South Africa will seek the Rwandan authorities. ”

No extradition agreement currently exists between South Africa and Rwanda.