83. The Complainant further underscores the statement made by the Minister of Communication during a press conference broadcast on the national television station CRTV. Mentioning those detained as part of the “Operation Sparrow Hawk”, the Minister stated that: “Those people embezzled these funds in order to prepare for the next presidential election”. As such, the Complainant concludes that these statements violate the provisions of Article 7(1)(b) of the Charter. The right to defence, Article 7(1)(c) 84. To support this allegation, the Complainant submits that five (5) months after his detention, his lawyers were unable to have access to the investigation file. In particular, the Complainant contends that regarding the indictment of 7 May 2012 which resulted in a new remand warrant issued against him, the examining magistrate prevented him from having access to his lawyers; that informed by the magistrate on 4 May 2012 at 4 pm that the latter would like to hear the Complainant on May 8 in his office, the magistrate visited the prison on May 7 to issue a new indictment and keep the Complainant in detention in violation of express provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. 85. The Complainant submits that this change of venue and date was part of an unfair procedure which deprived him of his right to be assisted by his lawyers. The Complainant further avers that on 8 May 2012, the date of the meeting, no action had been taken by the magistrate. Moreover, having gone to the magistrate’s office on 7 May 2012 to consult the case file in preparation for the meeting of May 8, his lawyers were unable to have access to the file because the magistrate was absent and did not leave any instruction to that end. 23

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