THE president of the Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) Brig. Gen Jean Bosco Kazura, was this Monday pardoned and released after spending over one month in detention.

Kazura was arrested on June 9 by Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) authorities for absconding from duty and travelling to South Africa for the FIFA Assembly and the World Cup without official permission.

Army Spokesperson, Lt. Col. Jill Rutaremara, confirmed to The New Times that Kazura who heads Training and Operations (J3) in RDF was pardoned and released after apologising to the army authorities.

Kazura was recalled from South Africa and served with disciplinary punishment. 

In the letter seen by The New Times¸ Kazura distanced himself from the rumours and speculation that surrounded his arrest terming it as negative propaganda.

"It is against this background and the fact that my arrest has been surrounded by false and negative speculations that I wish to register my sincere and open apology to my institution for the embarrassment that resulted from my misconduct,” he wrote.

"The negative propaganda associated with my case is false and baseless and should be treated with the contempt it deserves. I take full responsibility of what happened and I am indeed very sorry and remorseful. As a General, I must confess, my case should have attracted even a higher penalty,” Kazura is quoted in the statement as saying.

"I would therefore like to thank most sincerely my institution and in particular, its strategic leadership for pardoning me and for consistently observing the good and positive revolutionary practice of tolerance, guidance and constructive criticism which has helped in reforming a number of RDF personnel as well as building our military institution,” Kazura adds.

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