Presidential aides still wait for date of their appeal

NYARUGENGE - The date for the appeal of three employees of the Office of the President has not yet been set by the Military High court, but reliable sources say it could be next week. The three; Kalisa Mupende, the Director General in the Office of the President, Janvier Murenzi, Director of Administration and Finance and Capt James Musekera, in charge of logistics, were arrested over corruption allegations. Military Spokesperson Jill Rutaremara, said they will be court-martialed together because Mupende had never been discharged from the army, Musekera is a serving military officer, and Murenzi, though a civilian, committed the alleged crime with military officials. According to the military prosecution, the suspects were arraigned before the Nyamirambo-based military tribunal last week and were denied bail. “We have adduced all necessary evidence pinning the accused on embezzlement and other charges we are ready to provide them to court,” Ngabo Kayijuka, the military prosecutor revealed. “They are accused of embezzlement and abuse of office and other related offences. Prosecution is still investigating, and justice will take its course,” said Maj. Gen Frank Mugambage, the Director of Cabinet in the President’s Office. He revealed that the suspects are accused of conspiring to flout tendering procedures for the purchase of furniture. He added that some of the accused also face personal accusations of harassing and intimidating citizens. “We have reports that Mupende misbehaved at his home village in Kirehe (Eastern Province) where his cows trespassed into residents’ plantations and instead of negotiating with them, he instead started harassing them,” Mugambage said. According to a source, the accused took furniture worth Rwf 30 million from the President’s Office with an aim of refurbishing it, but instead decided to disappear with it and ordered new furniture contrary to the process. Mugambage said that the arrest is in line of government’s zero tolerance to corruption and other related vices. Ends

National

Presidential aides still wait for date of their appeal