Counterfeit and potentially poisonous Johnnie Walker Black and Red Label scotch whiskies are on the market in Kigali, according to findings of a secret market investigation commissioned by Diageo, a British multinational alcoholic beverages company.

Both the Police and Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RSB), when contacted last week, acknowledged that there was indeed an investigation initiated by Uganda Breweries Ltd (UBL), the suppliers of Diageo brands in East Africa.

Police spokesperson Celestin Twahirwa said several outlets in Kigali were implicated in the practice of importing and circulating counterfeit Black and Red Label whiskies in the country and that hundreds of cartons of the fake whisky have been impounded.

"I can’t give you further details of the case but what I can say is that all those implicated will be prosecuted for importing and circulating counterfeit products, we have already submitted the file to prosecution,” Twahira said.

A formal request, last week, for details of the investigation from UBL went unanswered but The New Times managed to obtain a copy of the report which, a staffer of the Kampala-based brewer said, has been given to Rwanda National Police (RNP) to help them prosecute the suspects.

The UK government’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), a few years ago, issued a warning about what it said then, were ‘fake bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch whisky containing "unacceptable levels” of an alcohol fuel which could cause stomach upsets and blindness.”

When asked whether the fakes uncovered on the Rwanda market pose similar health risks to consumers, Police spokesperson Twahira said they had sent samples of the impounded whisky to RSB laboratories for testing.

However, Philip Nzaire, RSB’s director of quality assurance, when asked about testing the counterfeits, said they haven’t received or done tests on any samples on the impounded Johnnie Walker products.

"Counterfeit is a crime on its own but we should also have access and test them to find out if they pose any health hazards,” Nzaire said, adding that alcohol, by its nature, is already dangerous, especially when abused.

Dubai-based fakes

Igihozo Supermarket, located along the stone road off Gisementi, is said to be at the centre of importing the fake Black and Red label whisky before supplying to other outlets, two based in Nyabugogo and another in the city centre.

The counterfeit network was first detected by Johnnie Walker market intelligence agents, in July, and alerted Rwanda authorities, including Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and Police, who agreed to collaborate in the investigation to find the dealers.

Daniel Nsabinawa, a detective with RNP, was assigned by the director of Police anti-counterfeit and pharmaceutical unit to work with the Diageo investigators and he prepared seizure notes for all the illegal whiskies found.

After dozens of interviews with suspected dealers in the counterfeits, Emmanuel Ndagimana, the owner of Igihozo Supermarket, allegedly confessed that he introduced the other importers involved by linking them to a Dubai-based company called Centaurus International.

The New Times visited Ndagimana’s Gisementi-based supermarket last week.

Asked about his role in the alleged malpractice, Ndagimana did not deny responsibility but pleaded ignorance, saying he was not aware that he was importing counterfeits.

"As you can see, I am just an ordinary trader, there was no way I would have known that these were counterfeits, absolutely impossible,” he said, adding that he had imported from the Dubai dealer only twice before he was discovered by investigators.

Ndagimana also said that only the bottles were fake and the liquor inside was genuine. He gave an example of a case he knows of, where people were selling Heineken beer in Primus bottles, just to cash in from a more advanced brand.

When Diageo investigators cornered Ndagimana, he narrated how he started the trade after a trip to Dubai in April, where he noticed the Black and Red label brands being sold cheaply by a company named Centaurus International.

He apparently got in touch with company’s export manager, a one Ion Ilasco, to arrange his first shipment of 100 boxes. Ndagimana also showed investigators a business card of Alexandre Photiou, apparently, the company’s chair.

Once in Rwanda, Ndagimana sold off the consignment quickly on account of its competitive pricing. He got excited and immediately placed another order of 100 boxes.

Following his own success, the businessman reportedly introduced two of his friends to the business; God’s Plan shop owned by a one Anita Umutoni and Bugarura shop owned by Kaliste Kalimera.

Trip to Dubai

In May, Ndagimana travelled back to Dubai with Umutoni in tow to purchase the fast-selling Johnnie Walker labels. Kaliste remained in Kigali but gave money to his friends to purchase his consignment as well.

On the May trip, Umutoni bought 10 boxes of Black Label and 100 of Red Label, while Ndagimana bought 50 boxes of Black Label. Bugarura also ordered for 100 boxes of Red Label and 30 for Gordon dry gin.

However, because Centaurus International only deals in Black and Red labels, Bugarura had to get Gordon dry gin from another supplier, Flamingo Enterprises.

Ndagimana also revealed that he has a van that supplies other outlets around Kigali and when his shop was searched, only 13 bottles of the fake Johnnie Walker brands were discovered.

More than 10 other liquor stores were raided for random checks, including Ndoli Supermarket and Drive-in Wine Garage, but only 36 fake bottles were discovered.

Iinvestigators concluded that the outlets had been tipped off, possibly, by Ndagimana.

For instance, at ‘Mama Pacy’, one of the outlets raided, 50 bottles of genuine Red and a few Black labels were on the counter, but after a thorough search, investigators found 10 bottles of fake Red Label hidden in the ceiling.

In her defence, ‘Mama Pacy’ claimed that she bought the fakes from an auction of overstayed goods organised by RRA. The revenue agency denied knowledge of the bottles.

The investigation concluded that Rwanda is extensively supplied with fake whiskies with Ndagimana, who had shipped in a total of 400 boxes of Red Label being the epicentre of the network in Kigali.

Concerns were also raised regarding RRA’s IT system that allegedly failed to properly capture entries and invoices for certain import consignments and proved to be a frustrating source of information during the investigation.

Police action

Established in 1820, Johnnie Walker Red and Black label whiskies are high-end liquors with high alcoholic volumes of 40+ per cent. Such a product is already dangerous by any standards.

But, according to UK’s Food Standards Agency, fake products of the labels contain unacceptable levels of methanol, which cause severe abdominal pain, drowsiness, dizziness and blurred vision leading to blindness.The anti-counterfeit and pharmaceuticals unit of RNP took on the investigations and promised the Diageo agents that they would ensure that the suspects are prosecuted and their fake products destroyed.

The New Times couldn’t readily get a comment from Centaurus International, which is located on Sheikh Zayed road, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Following the discoveries, Diageo filed an official complaint with Rwandan authorities, including Commissioner General of RRA, Inspector General of Police and the commissioner of Interpol in Rwanda.

Asked why the Police Anti-counterfeit Unit had not uncovered the counterfeit scam before, Police spokesperson Twahirwa said it’s not easy to detect everything and added that the owners of a brand should be at the forefront of protecting their products from counterfeits.

RSB’s Nzaire echoed the same response when asked why the standards body had also not detected the wide spread fakes on the market.

It’s also not clear whether Rwanda customs authority have the capacity to detect and stop dangerous imports from being allowed into the country since all the fake Black and Red labels found in circulation had been cleared by the tax body.

Last month, importers put RSB on the spot demanding for the speeding up of a process of contracting new firms to inspect products being imported into the country under the Imports Products Conformity Assessment to Standards (IPCA) scheme.

Under the IPCA scheme, firms certified by RSB inspect all products bound for Rwanda from the country of origin before they are shipped; if the goods meet standards, they are cleared and the importer issued a certificate of conformity to standards or rejects them if they don’t.

Currently, only one firm, Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), a Switzerland-based firm, does the inspection.

It was contracted by RSB about two years ago but importers have for long been complaining of bureaucracy and inefficiency on the part of SGS.

Apparently, three companies were recently contracted for the job and are expected to start work this month.

In the meantime, for consumers who are fans of the Johnnie Walker Black and Red labels, it is not clear how they can identify genuine products from fake ones given the dangers that consuming counterfeits could pose to their lives.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw