Probe team fails to locate Ibuka ‘beneficiaries’

An ongoing probe by the Office of Prosecutor General into the alleged mismanagement of survivors’ funds, has revealed that Ibuka officials released over Rwf 88m to ‘non-existent’ organisation. A highly placed source, who is also part of the probe team, revealed yesterday that the physical locations of 19 survivors’ associations which received the money were not traceable. Ibuka is an umbrella body of Genocide survivors’ organisations, and has been embroiled mismanagement rows which resulted into the suspension and prosecution of senior managers. “People from Ibuka claim to have released over Rwf 88million to help several survivors’ associations. But investigators cannot locate these people,” the source alleged. He revealed that Ibuka officials circumvented the standing rules in a bid to divert the funds for their own enrichment. Some of the non-existent associations include Izerekubaho (Kayonza), Dufatanye (Ngoma), Tuzamurane (Kayonza), Duharanirekubaho (Rwamagana), Twitezimbere (Nyamata-Bugesera), Humura (Bugesera), Ibikorwa (Bugesera) and Urukundo in Kayonza. All the above associations are located in the Eastern Province. They, according to our source, connived with Ibuka officials and received money reportedly to engage in livestock farming. In Kigali alone, more specifically in Kicukiro District, the probe team has unearthed at least seven ghost associations and cooperatives that are said to have received funds. When contacted yesterday, prosecution spokesperson, Augustin Nkusi confirmed the development. “We are cross-checking every document to get to the root cause of this problem. Ibuka officials released the funds but these associations are nowhere to be seen,” Nkusi explained by phone. According to prosecution, the Rwf 88 million is part of over Rwf400million unaccounted for by Ibuka officials. The ghost scandal comes at a time when five senior officials of Ibuka are in Nyarugenge Intermediate Court battling a case involving mismanagement of survivors’ funds. The officials targeted include Benoit Kaboyi (Executive Secretary), Naftal Ahishakiye (Director of Finance), Freddy Mutanguha (Secretary General), Eugene Gashugi (vice president) and Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, who is in charge of programmes. IBUKA was created in 1995 in order to address issues of justice, memory, social and economic problems faced by survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Ends

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Probe team fails to locate Ibuka ‘beneficiaries’