SIX Nyabihu officials, including members of the district’s internal tender committee, have been arrested for flouting procurement rules. The arrests came after an investigation found that the committee had awarded a lucrative tender to the highest bidder, whose financial offer was Rwf40 million higher than that of the bidder who deserved the deal, according to officials. The district was looking for a contractor to put up an official guest house. The district had awarded the Rwf600 million tender in December last year but works had not yet began. Police charge that the committee members ignored basic tendering rules because of personal interests in the deal. Initially nine people had been arrested over the matter but three were later released after preliminary investigations cleared them, Chief Supt Francis Gahima, the Western Province Regional Police spokesperson, said. Some of those behind bars include the head of the tender committee, the budget officer, the land officer and the in charge of labour issues. Gahima said investigations followed Rwanda Public Procurement Authority’s request to Police to probe the suspected irregularities. If found guilty, the suspects could face between three to five years jail term or a fine ranging from Rwf3 million to Rwf5 million or both. Earlier this month, the executive secretary of the same district, Emmanuel Habyarimana, was arrested over alleged misappropriation of public funds.
