Rwandan former president Pasteur Bizimungu was Monday sentenced by a court in Kigali to 15 years in jail for diverting public funds, inciting civil disobedience and criminal association but cleared of the main charge against him, threatening state security.
"I sentence Pasteur Bizimungu to five years for diverting public funds, five years for rumours inciting civil disobedience and five years for criminal association," declared presiding judge Fred Mulindwa, explaining that the jail terms would be served consecutively.
Prosecutors had sought a life jail term against Bizimungu for the state security charge.
The former president, in power between 1994 and 2000, has been in detention since his arrest in 2002.
He was tried with seven other people, including his former transport minister Charles Ntakirutinka who was jailed for 10 years - five years each for inciting civil disobedience and criminal association.
Bizimungu and Ntakirutinka "are not guilty of sowing terror or preparing for war aimed at threatening state security," the judge added.
The six remaining co-accused were all jailed for five years for criminal association.
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