The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda expects to have completed twenty trials by the end of this year or early 2003, the Tribunal's spokesperson Roland Amoussouga told on Thursday.

Briefing the press on the judicial calendar of the Tribunal, Amoussouga said trials involving twenty accused will be in progress by the end of this year. He added,"It is expected that twenty two accused will have received judgment by the end of 2003 or early 2004."

The Tribunal has completed 14 cases involving 15 accused persons since 1997.Currently eighteen accused are on trial while 31 are in custody awaiting trial.

Amoussouga also confirmed that a new trial involving Sylvestre Gacumbitsi, former Mayor of Rusumo Commune in Kibungo Prefecture will start July 28, 2003,before Trial Chamber Three. The chamber is composed of Judges Andresia Vaz of Senegal (presiding) Jai Ram Reddy of Fiji and Serguei Aleckseievich Egorov from Russia. Judge Reddy and Judge Egorov have been temporarily assigned to Trial Chamber Three to hear the Gacumbitsi case.

Gacumbitsi, 56, is charged with five counts including genocide or alternatively, complicity in genocide, extermination, Crimes against humanity (murder and rape). He made his initial appearance on 26 th June 2001.

According to Amoussouga, a pre-trial conference to take place on the morning of July 28 will precede the trial.

The commencement of new more trials before the end of the year would also be announced soon. Amoussouga named the trials as the so-called "Government I" , "Government II" and Ndindabahizi case. Ndindabahizi is a former Minister of Finance. He will be tried alone.

The so- called Government One involves Andre Rwamakuba, (former Minister of Education),Joseph Nzirorera (President of National Assembly and Secretary General of MRND), Mathieu Ngirumpatse (President of MRND), and Edouard Karemera (Minister of Interior and Vice President of MRND).

The accused in the so-called Government Two are, Prosper Mugiraneza,(Minister of Civil Service), Justin Mugenzi(Minister of Commerce) Casimir Bizimungu, (Minister of Health)and Jerome Bicamumpaka,(Minister of Foreign Affairs).

Ad litem judges

Amoussouga said that the 18 ad litem judges (not permanent) who were elected by the UN General Assembly to ICTR on June 26 were expected to arrive at the Tribunal in September or October. This will depend on the exact dates of the commencement of the new trials, Mr Ammoussouga stated. Only four ad litem judges can serve at any given time.