Arusha — A prosecution witness in the trial of four former army officers on Tuesday told the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda that two Tutsi neighbours of the former chief of staff of the Gendarmerie (Para-military police), General Augustin Ndindiliyimana, were killed on the orders of the accused .

The witness dubbed GFR to conceal his identity, said he personally killed one of the Tutsis called Ignace Nsabimana in April 22nd 1994.

The witness explained that a man, sent by the mayor from the communal office, had directed the witness, along with other Hutus, to where the two Tutsis were hiding at his native commune in Nyaruhengeri Commune in Butare Prefecture (Southern Rwanda).

"He told us General Ndindiliyimana had given instructions for the two men to be killed" GFR stated.

The other Tutsi, called Celestin Munyanshongore, who had also been hiding with Nsabimana attempted to flee but he was chased and killed by a man called Kabanda, according to the witness.

GFR, the sixteenth prosecution witness is a detainee in Rwanda waiting to be tried for genocide and extermination. He has confessed to having participated in the killings of forty-five people, fifteen of which he committed individually.

Ndindiliyimana's lead counsel Christopher Black (Canada) accused the witness of having lied in his initial confession to the judicial authorities in Rwanda in 1997, because he only admitted to killing three people.

GFR defended himself arguing that he was unable to remember all the names of the victims at the time and was able to do so after discussions with other detainees in jail.

"After I had stayed in prison, I remembered more names," GFR said.

The Prosecutor contends that General Ndindiliyimana was responsible for maintaining law and order, but failed to use his powers to do so during the 1994 genocide that left an estimated one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead.

General Ndindiliyimana is co-accused with the former chief-of-staff of the Rwandan army, General Augustin Bizimungu, the former commander of the Reconnaissance battalion, Major François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye and his deputy, Captain Innocent Sagahutu.

The four military officers have pleaded not guilty to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The trial which began in September 2004 continues on Wednesday with the testimony of GFR.