KIGALI - Police sources have revealed that two people have been arrested in Kigali for allegedly operating an non-existent Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) with the intention to defraud donors. The organisation, OODES was using legal documents owned by another locally registered NGO known as Assist Rwanda. Silvestre Nsanzimana and Charlotte Mbabazi were arrested separately for forging certificates which they later used to win tenders from, Send-A-Cow, an international charity organisation. It is alleged that Nsanzimana, a former employee of Assist Rwanda between 2004 and 2008, connived with Mbabazi to altered a 2006 certificate belonging to Assist Rwanda and replaced it with OODES, the name of the ghost NGO. With the help of Mbabazi, it is alleged that Nsanzimana managed to win a tender worth Rwf 1.1million this year in ‘Send-A –Cow to train residents of Kirehe District on social development issues. According to a police, Mbabazi, who is the coordinator of training programmes in Send-A-Cow, helped Nsanzimana win the tender with the promise of a kickback once the deal went through. Mbabazi was arrested on Monday.The arrests were prompted by a complaint from Assist Rwanda officials after they realized that Nsanzimana was using their certificate. “We carried out investigations after we got information that OODES, which was not registered in the Ministry of Local Government and never existed, was using forged documents,” police said. Nsanzimana, whose training tender was also supposed to last for 20 days carried out the training for only five days.Mbabazi is also said to have given Nsanzimana a company vehicle to transport him to the scene from Kigali, contrary to the contract and also helped him to during training sessions. According to sources, Nsanzimana sent Mbabazi Rwf100,000 using MTN Mobile money after he was paid. Ends
