A driver whose car hit and killed a Rwandan investigative journalist has pleaded guilty and been fined by a court.
Moise Emmanuel Bagirishya was fined $920 for manslaughter, three weeks after the crash that killed John William Ntwali.
Ntwali was traveling as a passenger on a motorbike when the accident occurred on 18 January.
He was investigating and exposing human rights abuses in Rwanda and activists had called for an investigation into his death.
The motorist who pleaded guilty will also pay $500 for injuries to the motorcyclist carrying Ntwali.
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The Rwandan driver was fined $920 after his guilty plea to manslaughter after hitting a Rwandan investigative journalist with his car. He will also have to pay $500 for the biker’s injuries (Fox News)
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Prosecutors during the trial asked the court to jail the driver for two years and fine him $1,800 after he pleaded guilty and asked for a pardon.
The law in Rwanda allows 30 days to appeal, but Ntwali’s family told local media that they will not appeal.
Dozens of African civil society groups and news associations on Tuesday called for an independent investigation into Ntwali’s death, saying the official explanation lacked sufficient evidence.
“The Rwandan authorities have not provided a police report, the exact location of the alleged incident, any photographic or video evidence, or detailed information about others involved in the incident,” the statement said.
Ntwali had previously expressed fears for his life and told rights organization Human Rights Watch that he had received threats over the phone and that strangers had visited his home. Ntwali had been described as Rwanda’s last independent journalist and lauded for his courageous reporting on human rights abuses.
