30.04.10 - RWANDA/SURVIVORS - TOP IBUKA OFICIALS ARRESTED FOR MISMANAGING VICTIM FUNDS

Kigali, April 30, 2010 (FH) - Two senior officials of IBUKA, the main organization representing Rwandan genocide survivors, have been arrested for mismanagement of the victims' assistance fund, according to the pro-government daily New Times.

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Eugène Gashugi and Freddy Mutanguha, respectively vice-president and secretary general of IBUKA, were arrested on April 16, according to the newspaper which quotes a source at the Prosecutor general's office.

Appearing before a Kigali court on Wednesday 28, they requested more time to find lawyers for their defence.

Three other senior IBUKA officials have already been arrested in connection with this alleged scam:  Executive Secretary Benoît Kaboyi, Director of Programs Naphtal Ahishakiye and Director of Finance

Emmanuel Nsengiyumva. They are charged notably with "drawing up lists of non-existent beneficiaries and inflating the figures of survivors in some districts".

According to the prosecution, over 400 million Rwandan francs (about $666,000) are missing from the organization's coffers. The defendants have to prove how it was spent.

SRE/ER/GF/JC

© Hirondelle News Agency