House refers petition on Murekezi to security committee: Rwanda genocide fugitive in Malawi

The petition that some concerned citizens delivered to Parliament on Rwandan genocide fugitive Vincent Murekezi has been referred back to Parliamentary Committees on Defence and Security and International Relations for further scrutiny and investigation before it can come back in the chamber for deliberation.

A group calling itself  Concerned Citizens petitioned Parliament to have Murekezi arrested and extradited back to his native country Rwanda to face justice on the role he played in 1994 genocide.

Chairperson of Parliamentary committee on Defence and Security Olipa Myaba Chiluba moved the motion in the house on Thursday to a very attentive legislators most of whom were seen nodding with surprise as to how Malawi as a country were hosting such a dangerous criminal.

“Mr. Speaker sir, I beg to move that this petition be deferred and referred to the Defense and Security and International relations committee’s for further  scrutiny and investigation before it is brought back on the floor for deliberations,” said Chiluba.

Speaker of National Assembly Richard Msowoya sustained the motion.

However, Mulanje Bale legislator Victor Musowa stood on a point of order demanding that it is surprising that the people who are petitioning the house always hide under the guise of concerned citizens and do not put their names.

“Mr. Speaker sir, I am surprised that people presenting these petitions always do not reveal their names but hide under the guise of concerned citizens?,” said Musowa.

But Speaker Msowoya schooled the legislator that it is not correct that the petitioners do not put their names but said it is not necessary that when reading the petition has to mention their names.

“Honourable member you may wish to know that all the petitions have names but it is not the duty of this house to authenticate whether these names are genuine or not,” said Msowoya.

But Musowa could have none of it and said that the house might be violating its own Standing Orders.

However, Msowoya asked the legislator which Standing Orders were being violated and Musowa was tight lipped as he did indicate them.

But Murekezi was arrested last week and the court is the process of extraditing him through consultations between Lilongwe and Kigali.

Murekezi stands accused of spearheading killings of Tutsi in his native Tumba Sector in Huye District during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, in which over a million innocent lives were lost.

He was tried and convicted in absentia by a Gacaca court, which handed him a life sentence, but the law allows for him to seek retrial in ordinary courts of law.

Murekezi appeared surprisingly cheerful outside a magistrate’s court in Lilongwe on Tuesday.

He cheerfully quipped: “God is on my side!” as he raised his handcuffed wrists to waiting reporters when armed policemen escorted him to the courtroom for recording of charges of bribery, tax evasion and corruption.

Murekezi, who was arrested last week, stands accused of spearheading killings of Tutsi in his native Tumba Sector in Huye District during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, in which over a million innocent lives were lost.

He was tried and convicted in absentia by a Gacaca court, which handed him a life sentence, but the law allows for him to seek retrial in ordinary courts of law.

Despite this daunting prospect of being extradited home to face the most heinous crimes on planet earth, Murekezi appeared surprisingly cheerful outside a magistrate’s court in Lilongwe on Tuesday.

He cheerfully quipped: “God is on my side!” as he raised his handcuffed wrists to waiting reporters when armed policemen escorted him to the courtroom for recording of charges of bribery, tax evasion and corruption.

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