Local leader arrested over Rwf18m scam

The Executive Secretary of Kagunga Cell in Gikondo Sector, Kicukiro District, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly conspiring with a couple and defrauding two people of over Rwf 18.2 million.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Executive Secretary of Kagunga Cell in Gikondo Sector, Kicukiro District, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly conspiring with a couple and defrauding two people of over Rwf 18.2 million. Jean Marie Ngamije is accused of conniving with Jean Marie Vianney Sebagenzi and his wife, Jacqueline Nyiramajyambere, to sell the couple’s house to two different people, including an RDF officer, Lt. Jackson Kazayire. Sebagenzi and his wife fled before they could be arrested.According to an agreement signed between the couple and Lt. Kazayire, dated June 23, 2011 and obtained by The New Times,  Sebarenzi borrowed Rwf 6.25 million from the soldier which was supposed to be refunded within a month.Sebagenzi put his house in Sovu Village, Niboye Cell in Niboye Sector, Kicukiro, as collateral for the loan. On October 6, 2011, Sebagenzi and his wife entered into another agreement with Lt. Kazayire, in which he bought the house. According to the second agreement, which does not specify the value of the house, Kazayire gave Sebagenzi Rwf 4 million and $8300 dollars to become the sole owner of the house. He paid the sum on December 13, 2011 The couple, who were supposed to vacate the house by March 6, 2012, then sold the same property to Clementine Nyiradende for Rwf 8 million, who paid in cash, according to the agreement signed between the two, also seen by this newspaper. While selling the house to Lt.Kazayire, Sebagenzi gave him an old title deed while he gave Nyiradende the new land titles released recently by the National Land Centre.Jean Marie Ngamije signed on the initial agreement as a government official and on other contracts as a witness. At the time he signed the initial agreement, Ngamije was the Executive Secretary of Niboye Cell, before being transferred to Kagunga last July. Ngamije, who is currently being detained at Kicukiro Police Station, admitted the crime, but added that  he was simply negligent. "This is my signature, I cannot deny it. But I was misled by Sebagenzi; he told me that he had refunded Kazayire and that they had terminated the agreement,” Ngamije told journalists. "It is due to my carelessness that I did not ask him to present the termination deed. I had no other interest in signing  all the accords,” he added.