Former Nyamasheke executive secretary rearrested over new corruption charges

The former executive secretary of Nyamasheke District in the Western Province, Jean Pierre Ndagijimana, has been arrested days after he resigned from his position citing personal reasons.Ndagijimana had, on October 10, tendered in his resignation letter to the district mayor and officially handed over office on Tuesday.In an interview with this paper this week, Ndagijimana said he resigned his post to pursue post graduate studies.The Western Region Police Spokesperson Superintendent Hamza Vita confirmed the arrest, saying Ndagijimana was detained on Thursday after new evidence emerged linking him to a new corruption scam in the area.Ndagihimana is alleged to have received Rwf17million ‘as a donation’ from a construction firm which was hired to build the Hanika-Kivugiza road, according to Police.“Preliminary investigations indicate that the money was given to him [Ndagijimana] to gain [unlawful] favours,” Supt Vita told this paper, without giving details.“That constitutes an act of corruption itself.”The construction of the non-tarmac road is set to cost around one billion Rwandan francs.As the head of administration in the district, he headed the management and technical units and was the overall supervisor for the district staff. “We are still investigating the case to uncover more evidence. We are soon handing his dossier to the prosecution,” Vita said.According to Supt Vita, police launched investigations in the new corruption allegations some days ago after a tip off from a well-informed area resident.It is the second time that the former Nyamasheke District employee is detained on corruption related charges in less than three months.In August, Ndagijimana was arrested and detained in Kigali on charges that he tried to bribe an official at the Office of the Ombudsman to cover up false declaration of his wealth.At the time, a spokesman of the Office told this paper that seemingly the idea to bribe their staff came as a result of their investigations which uncovered undeclared assets belonging to the Executive Secretary.However, a subsequent trial heard by a judge at the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court acquitted Ndagijimana of the charges.Supt Vita told Saturday Times that the new corruption charges are unrelated to the first case.Ndagijimana had served as the district executive secretary since 2007. Before he was the executive secretary of Ruharambuga sector in the same districtPolice called upon residents to continue their cooperation to ensure that corruption is driven out of the community.“The fight against corruption is a common responsibility,” Vita said.

National

Former Nyamasheke executive secretary rearrested over new corruption charges