Court hands Murenzi a four-year sentence

The former Director of Finance in the Office of the President, Janvier Murenzi, was yesterday sentenced to four years in jail after the Kacyiru Primary Court found him guilty of accumulating unexplained wealth. Presided over by judge Jean Damascene Gasana, the court ruled that Murenzi had failed to explain the source of his wealth. The accused, who is currently remanded at Mulindi Military Prison, was not present at his sentencing and neither was he present during the course of the trial. Court had decided to continue trying him in absentia after it was said that he was sick, but a subsequent medical diagnosis proved that he was in good health. The court also ordered him to pay a fine of over Rwf 1.1bn in a period of eight days and failure to remit it, then government should auction his property. Court also ordered the attachment of his two houses in Kicukiro, several plots he acquired in different areas in Kigali City and money on his two accounts in Bank of Kigali and ECOBANK. Murenzi was also asked to pay court charges amounting to Rwf22,100. The former Director of Finance allegedly accumulated over Rwf500m within a period of four years as a civil servant yet it had been indicated that he earned Rwf 30.5 million as his remuneration during the same period. He reportedly acquired five houses, several plots of land and two Isuzu coaches and several other properties. Ends

National

Court hands Murenzi a four-year sentence