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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Justice Ministry says Patasse complaint not received

BANGUI, 3 September 2003 (IRIN) - The Central African Republic's Ministry of Justice has said it never received a complaint allegedly filed by former President Ange-Felix Patasse with the state prosecutor against the man who ousted him, former military chief of staff Francois Bozize.

Speaking on state-owned Radio Centrafrique on Tuesday, the information officer at the ministry, David Gamou, said the prosecutor's office in Bangui, the capital, had received no complaint from Patasse, as announced on Monday by his spokesman, Prosper N'douba.

The report follows the issuance of an international arrest warrant in late August for Patasse, now in exile in Togo, by Bangui prosecutor Firmin Feindiro. Patasse is accused of embezzlement, murder, rape and other charges.

The warrant for Patasse’s arrest was issued soon after the National Transitional Council voted to exclude him from the national reconciliation conference, scheduled to be held from 11-20 September. Analysts have called Patasse's exclusion a major obstacle to true reconciliation.

AFP reported that in his complaint, Patasse accused Bozize of "interruption of the democratic process, crimes against humanity, war crimes, rape, destruction of public property and conspiring with foreign elements". The agency quoted Patasse's foreign minister, Martial Beti-Marace, as saying that Patasse also intended to file a case against Bozize at the International Criminal Court.

Bozize overthrew Patasse in a coup on 15 March, after a six-month rebellion.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Governance, (IRIN) Human Rights

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