Top Mineduc official arrested over “graft”

KIGALI - The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education has been arrested allegedly on corruption charges, the Sunday Times can reveal. Justin Nsengiyumva was arrested on Friday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) forreportedly demanding a bribe from local businessman Moses Byaruhanga. Education minister, Daphrose Gahakwa said Nsengiyumva was allegedly soliciting a bribe from Byaruhanga who had won a tender to supply the ministry with computers. The computers were meant for schools. The businessman supplied computers worth over Rwf 70 million but the PS reportedly blocked payment unless he was given a kickback. “I was in a cabinet meeting when they informed me that there were delays in paying the computer supplier because Nsengiyumva was demanding a bribe from him in order to speed his payments,” Gahakwa said on phone last evening. Before his appointment as PS in the Ministry of Education, on the 12th March 2008, he had served in the same position in the Ministry of Commerce. He was the senior technical officer of the Ministry in charge of the coordination of all administrative and technical activities. Efforts to get details about Nsengiyumva’s case from CID were futile, though the acting Commissioner of Police, Mary Gahonzire, confirmed the arrest but declined to give details, saying investigations were still going on. Ends