CRIME - The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has launched investigations into alleged irregularities that surround an aborted Frw43 million tender at Travaux d’Intérêts Générales (TIG). TIG is a government agency that oversees community service for people convicted of Genocide. The controversial tender which was halted by former TIG executive secretary Emmanuel Twagirumukiza, had been allocated to a city businessman at the blessing of Twagirumukiza’s two assistants. The two are retired Colonel Charles Musitu – who was at the time acting as the executive secretary – and Anastase Nabahire. “The file is now in our hands, and we are certainly going to investigate the matter,” CID Director, Chief Superintendent Costa Habyara, said yesterday. He said a number of people will be interrogated in connection with the case. He however declined to mention the date on which the interrogations will commence. But sources said the department was already studying documents related to the said tender. Musitu and Nabahire are both accused of circumventing the normal tendering process and inflating the value of the tender in question. The tender which was awarded on January 21 was for the supply of foodstuff for prisoners who were serving community service sentences at Mugina Camp in Kamonyi District, Southern Province. It was commissioned at the time Twagirumukiza was one leave. But when Twagiramukiza returned to office, he annulled the tender citing irregularities. The former TIG boss, who faces separate charges of corruption, confirmed to this newspaper that he cancelled the tender due to ‘irregularities’. According to sources conversant with the Frw43 million tender case, Musitu and Nabahire didn’t advertise the tender in media outlets as required in normal practice despite having enough time to do so. “They only invited the businessman (Muhirwa) and awarded him the tender without bidding,” the source said. It’s also alleged that the two officials colluded to inflate the tender value from about Frw28 million to Frw43 million. However, both of them have dismissed the allegations, insisting that there was food shortage in the camp and wanted an immediate supplier. The new TIG Executive Secretary Everest Bizimana declined to comment on the matter. Ends
