Prosecution seeks 10-year sentence for former Governor Gasana

The prosecution has requested the Nyagatare Intermediate Court to hand a 10-year jail sentence to Emmanuel Gasana, the former Governor of Eastern Province. Additionally, they also requested that Gasana, who is also a former Commissioner General of Rwanda National Police, be fined Rwf 144 million. Gasana is facing allegations of soliciting and accepting illegal benefits in exchange for favors and abusing his office. The trial was held in Nyagatare on Tuesday, March 12. Gasana is accused of coercing a businessperson named Eric Karinganire into providing free services, including the installation of irrigation facilities on his macadamia farm plantation, located in Rebero Village, in Nyagatare District. ALSO READ: Ex-Governor Gasana illegally benefited from irrigation project - Prosecution Prosecutors allege that Gasana leveraged his position to illegally secure these benefits and had allegedly promised the businessman to use his office to lobby for him to expand his activities in different parts of the province. According to the prosecution, Karinganire, is said to have met with Gasana in mid-2022 at that time, his company was operating in Rwamagana, installing irrigation in people’s farms on a commercial basis in Gahengeri and Karenge sectors. The prosecutors argued that after the meeting, the businessman was allowed to extend his services to Nyagatare and Gatsibo districts, but there was something suspicious about how all this happened. During that time, the company is said to have lacked some basic infrastructure like an electricity line, and tools for doing satisfactory work in the areas where it operated. ALSO READ: Eastern Province governor Gasana suspended In his defense, Gasana pleaded not guilty, claiming he was unaware of Karinganire until he was contacted about an irrigation project, adding that he could not have peddled influence for an individual he did not know personally. Gasana asserted that Karinganire, who claimed to have completed his studies in China and held a working contract with the Ministry of Agriculture and Maraphone, approached him for collaboration. Gasana emphasized that the services provided were in the interest of the population, as his farm's proximity to essential resources facilitated the project's execution. Gasana's legal team argued that there is insufficient evidence to prove Gasana's solicitation and receipt of bribes. They highlighted Gasana's commitment to citizen welfare, suggesting that his actions were unselfish rather than self-serving. Additionally, they emphasized discrepancies in dates and asserted that Gasana's involvement came after extensive project sensitization efforts. Following hearings from both sides, the judge adjourned the proceedings, with the verdict scheduled for April 11. Gasana, appointed as Eastern Province Governor by President Paul Kagame in 2021, had previously served as Governor of the Southern Province and Inspector General of the Rwanda National Police. Prior to his law enforcement career, Gasana held the rank of Brigadier General in the Rwanda Defence Force, where he served as Chief of Logistics.

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Prosecution seeks 10-year sentence for former Governor Gasana