Prosecution challenges Ibuka officials’ bail

KIGALI - The move by Nyarugenge Intermediate Court to release on bail five senior officials of IBUKA, who are accused of mismanaging survivors’ funds, has riled the prosecution. It argues that the case against the officials is serious and they should have stayed in remand until the charges are disposed off. “We have gone to the High Court to say that we are not happy. We want the court to give us power and have these officials rearrested,” a source from Nyarugenge Prosecution said. The officials, who include the Executive Secretary, Benoit Kaboyi, the Director of Finance, Naftal Ahishakiye, the Secretary General, Freddy Mutanguha, the vice president, Eugene Gashugi and Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, in charge of programmes. They were granted provisional release on May 5. Prosecution accuses the officials of among other things; creating ghost beneficiaries and inflating the figures of survivors in some districts. It alleges that over Rwf400 million was unaccounted for and that the officials have to explain how the money was spent. When contacted over the matter, the Deputy Prosecutor General, Alphonse Hitiyaremye, said they petitioned the High Court because they were not happy with the earlier ruling. “The High Court will make a ruling on the matter on Monday next week. We presented clear grounds why the suspects should stay in prison,” Hitiyaremye said by phone on Wednesday. He, however, did not say why the prosecution wants the suspects to remain in jail. Hitiyaremye had earlier alluded to the fact that since the case against officials is serious, they might, if released, elude justice. IBUKA is an umbrella organization of Genocide survivors’ associations and was created in 1995 in order to address issues of justice, memory, social and economic problems faced by survivors Ends

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Prosecution challenges Ibuka officials’ bail