Trial of economic saboteurs postponed

The first hearing on economic sabotage that had been scheduled for October 16, 2008, at Kacyiru Lower Instance Court was postponed to November 13 by Claudine Nyirabikenye, the Court President has said. Economic sabotage is any act or crime that impedes economic growth of the country. According to the Prosecutor General’s office, various businessmen who were intercepted trying to sell off the Ministry of Agriculture’s fertilizers were hindering agricultural productivity thus negatively affecting economic development. “There was no hearing that day as all court staff working in Kigali City area were attending an urgent meeting convened by the Supreme Court,” Nyirabikenye explained from her office. The case of economic sabotage involved the defendant Straton Ndamage who allegedly intercepted subsidised government fertilisers, meant for farmers in the country. Ndamage was reportedly arrested at Bugesera-Burundi border transporting 50 tons of Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizers to Burundi instead of Nyaruguru District in the Northern Province. Other suspects awaiting trial on similar charges of economic sabotage are Wellars Musonera, Ildephonse Karibwami, Edouard Nkundiye Damien Rurangwa and Ignace Karangwa. Their trial is scheduled for October 28, 2008 in Nyamagabe District. Recently, the Deputy Prosecutor General, Alphonse Hitiyaremye, announced that investigations were being carried out to ascertain whether Ministry of Agriculture employees were involved in the illegal sale of subsidised government fertilizers outside the country. Accordingly, nineteen people including government employees have been arrested and will soon appear in court for diverting fertilisers meant for increasing agricultural production in the country side. 25 others are being investigated to ascertain whether they also took part in the illegal selling of fertilisers. Police and the Ministry of Agriculture have uncompromisingly warned businessmen, farmers and government employees against the illegal sale of fertilisers. Sources say fertilisers are mostly sold to Burundi and Uganda. While addressing the press recently, the State Minister for Agriculture, Agnes Karibata, said the ministry had put in place clear measures to distribute subsidised fertilisers to all farmers especially those growing rice and maize. She revealed that some people had been contracted to supply the fertilisers to the farmers. According to the line ministry strategy paper, Rwanda’s fertiliser use until the early 1980’s rarely exceeded 5,000 tons annually and average application per hectare had never gone beyond 4 kg compared to 300-400 kg used by developed countries. The government at the time preferred the use of organic manure, crop rotation and soil erosion control and did not promote inorganic fertiliser use. The paper further reads that it was only in the late 1980’s when declining agricultural productivity forced the government to develop interest in inorganic fertiliser use and many agricultural projects started to include fertiliser components. After 1994, the government developed a policy whose major objective is to intensify and commercialize agriculture and this requires use of modern inputs including improved varieties and fertilizers. Ends

National

Trial of economic saboteurs postponed