Karega denounces Kayumba’s energy scam

The Minister of Infrastructure, Vincent Karega, has dismissed claims by a dubious South African-based company, RNF Global Services and Logistics, that it has financed a 500MW power plant in eastern Rwanda. The company is owned and run by the family of Rwandan fugitive, Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, who lives in South Africa. Kayumba, Patrick Karegyeya, Theogene Rudasingwa, and Gerald Gahima, together with Paul Rusesabagina, and several members of armed militia operating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), recently joined hands to form Rwanda National Congress (RNC). “Those are wild claims, it is a serious hoax,” said the minister, referring to the non-existent power plant. RNF claims in its website to be dealing in a bevy of sectors; logistic solutions, project financing, judicial representation, technology transfer and real estate management. “We have undertaken different projects in different countries ranging from Rwanda where we financed the construction of a power plant that generates 500 mega watts in the province of Kibungo ...,” they claim (http://rnfglobal.co.za.plesk4.wadns.net/pages/departments/rnf-project-funding.php). “They must be up to some shady deals,” clarified the minister.“I mean, this is the most outrageous scam,” he added.The same sentiments were echoed by Yves Muyange, the Director General of EWAS, the water, energy and power utility. On paper, RNF’s CEO is Kayumba’s brother-in-law, Frank Ntwali, who is also the RNC coordinator in South Africa. Kayumba’s wife, Rosette Kayumba, is the Human Resource Manager. Two other Rwandans; Alex Kagame and Ronald Gumira, are board members.Sources in South Africa and Europe revealed that the project is consistent with RNC’s other scams to raise money to fund their anti-government activities. They point out that Rusesabagina organisation, Paul Rusesabagina Hotel Rwanda Foundation, which claims to be a humanitarian organisation, and entirely ran by his family, is used to raise funds to prop up rebel activities in eastern DRC. During the trial of several captured rebel officers, the prosecution produced money transfer documents that prove Rusesabagina wired funds to the insurgents via Western Union office in San Antonio, Texas. The coordinator of RNC, Theogene Rudasingwa, has set up some fishy organisation, Haradali.org, fronted as a spiritual and health advocacy group, with a similar mission to raise funds for the FDLR. “These people have become adept at creating phantom organisations to milk money out of gullible victims. For Kayumba to make such outrageous claims of building a 500 MW plant in Rwanda is unbelievable. Even astute conmen have their no-go zone,” Karega said. “What Kayumba and his wife are claiming is pure fraud. It’s a sick joke,” he added. A UN Security Council Group of Experts’ report, last year, confirmed that both Kayumba and Karegyeya have strong links with the FDLR and were involved with armed groups in the DRC. Regional security chiefs, representing the Economic Community of Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL), recently disclosed that the two fugitives, have formed a new armed group based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the aim of destabilizing the region. Kayumba, Karegeya, Gahima and Rudasingwa were handed lengthy sentences, after they were found guilty of forming a terrorist group, threatening state security, undermining public order, promoting ethnic divisions and insulting the person of the President of the Republic. Ends