The Gasabo Primary Court on Tuesday, on August 11, remanded local businessman Alfred Nkubiri for 30 days. Nkubiri, who owns a company called ENAS, a major agri-dealer in the country, has been in custody for some days as he battles charges related to a multi-billion tender to distribute fertilisers to farmers across the country. He faces three charges; breach of trust, forgery and use of forged documents, and confiscating items used in a crime. However, the judge nullified the breach of trust charge, citing the statute of limitations, where this particular charge expires after three years. However, the businessman has pleaded not guilty of all charges against him. Recent information from Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) indicates that Nkubiri is suspected of being connected to the mismanagement of money amounting to Rwf9 billion that was meant for fertilisers for farmers across the country. The money was under a project that ran between 2009 and 2013 under the agriculture ministry and was aimed at boosting food production in the country, by helping farmers to access fertilisers at subsidised prices. Through the project, farmers were supposed to get fertilisers and only pay 40 per cent of its cost, while the government would meet the remaining 60 percent. Reports by RIB said that these entrepreneurs made up lists of ghost beneficiaries and on top of that, did not remit collections from the farmers. The quantity of fertilisers they claimed to have distributed was far less than what was actually given out to farmers, the investigation body added. The case involves a total of 12 people; nine currently in custody, while three have been released but still have criminal liability and will most likely be prosecuted. The National Public Prosecution Authority told The New Times on Tuesday that other suspects related to this case will appear before court on Thursday this week.
