Pastor dragged to police over funds

KIGALI - A Kenyan pastor running an NGO in the country faces allegations of embezzling funds, Sunday Times has learnt. Pastor Joseph Anyienga faces the allegations alongside the General Manager of the organization Sisters of Rwanda one Margaret Karara. The organization has been engaged in efforts tot help former prostitutes in Kigali gain income generating skills. Sisters of Rwanda has premises in Kimironko, where it trains former sex workers different vocational skills like making beads and candles. The allegations against the two were made by their partner of over two years in the organization Jared Miller. He alleges that they have been systematically embezzling funds and other donations given by the sponsors of the organization. Miller from the USA but working with Sisters Of Rwanda told Sunday Times that he carried out an investigation after being tipped off by some of the would be beneficiaries of the organization. “I did an investigation and found out that the Pastor and our General Manager have been stealing from us and embezzling money for almost a year. I had no idea” said Miller. Miller told Sunday Times that the case was forwarded to police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police is doing a full investigation. “They have been accepting funds under our name for a long time but they have been keeping the money”, added Miller. When we got in touch with Pastor Anyienga, by phone, he said that the case is before CID and that he was not ready to talk about the allegations that are now before the police. He said that he is the founder of the organization and that he knows that Miller, being the one who brought up the allegations. has his own side he wants to put forward. Contacted for comment, Karara told Sunday Times by phone that she was not ready to speak about the allegations saying that the police investigations will help to determine what happened. Anyienga and Karara later walked into the offices of The New Times yesterday and shed more light on the allegations leveled against them. Anyienga said that Miller made the allegations to police after the Board of the NGO had summoned him to give a financial report for the year 2007/2008. He explained that they wanted Miller to explain why he published a magazine in the US, alleging that there was sex slavery in Rwanda without getting permission from the management. Anyienga further said that the board was going to sit on August 22nd to get an explanation from Miller and he refused to turn up. Instead according to the Pastor, Miller went to police on 25th claiming that Ayienga and Karara had embezzled funds. The pastor concluded that justice should take its course and as a man of God he believes the truth will be revealed. The police spokesman Marcel Higiro confirmed that CID had received a complaint from Miller, alleging that there was embezzlement and mismanagement in the organization. “CID has received a complaint saying that there is embezzlement and mismanagement in the organization”. Higiro said. He added “So far we have got that complaint and we have started investigations and we are at the level of finding out what happened”. Ends