The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court has granted bail to Egide Igabe, a local academic who is being prosecuted for using a forged PhD certificate. The development comes after he filed an appeal challenging an earlier decision taken by the Kicukiro Primary Court to remand him back in January this year. The documents he is suspected of forging include the equivalence certificate from the High Education Council (HEC) that confirms that he has a PhD certificate obtained from Atlantic International University (AIU) in the United States, which he wanted to use to get employment in different institutions of higher learning in the country. In the appeal hearing held in January, Prosper Uwiragiye, Igabe’s lawyer, told court that there was a serious need for his client to be released on bail since he had a sick child whom he had to help seek medical attention. Uwiragiye said that Igabe was willing to pay a bail fee of Rwf 5million as surety that he would keep availing himself to both the prosecution and court after being released. In an appeal ruling held on Friday, March 11, the presiding judge at the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court resolved to grant Igabe bail, but ordered him to pay the Rwf 5million bail fee before he can be released. Meanwhile, earlier this year, after the arrest of Igabe, HEC released a statement cancelling all academic equivalences it had issued to graduates from AIU, saying the American-based institution was not accredited by any agency of authority.
