A court in Kigali has acquitted five former officials at Rwanda Education Board (REB) arrested early this year for alleged complicity in embezzling public funds, sources say. On March 22, two former Director-Generals at REB Janvier Gasana and Dr. John Rutayisire were arrested along with Ali Harelimana and Rutaha Bagaya, both former Directors of Finance and Administration, and Juvenal Rusatsi Ngemanyi, the Budget Officer. But when contacted on Saturday, Gasana and Rutayisire were not inclined to comment. Prosecutor-General Jean-Bosco Mutangana told The New Times that the Gasabo Intermediate Court ruled that the accused be acquitted. He said: “We will consider our next options.” The Gasabo Primary Court on April 9 granted them bail. All of them were accused of conspiring to embezzle up to Rwf249 million during their term in office from the time of the board was created in 2011, up to last year. In April, the court located in Kibagabaga, a Kigali suburb, ordered for the immediate release of the five, as there was no substantial reason for remanding them for 30 days. The prosecution had submitted to the court that the five be remanded for thirty days as they conclude the investigation, which submission court rejected. The bail was without condition, according to the ruling. Rutayisire was REB boss form July 2011 to February 2015 when he handed over to Gasana who occupied the office up to February 2018. Bagaya was the Director of Finance (DAF) of the same institution from 2011- 2015 until Harelimana took over up to 2016. Rusatsi was the budget officer from Rutayisire’s time to the present. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
