Nyarugenge Intermediate Court has upheld a 30-day remand for Billy Cheung, the businessman behind Century Park. The Chinese investor is being prosecuted for crimes including money laundering and fraud. He was arrested on February 4 and remanded later that month by Kicukiro Primary Court, a decision he moved to appeal against. Cheung’s alleged crimes are centred around financial troubles related with evading his creditors in Rwanda and Uganda, with debts amounting to US$51.6 million. Prosecutors say that Cheung defrauded over 200 business people in Uganda, obtaining US$23 million for a modern market project that he never completed before fleeing to Rwanda. In Rwanda, investigations uncovered registration irregularities regarding his properties, especially an unexplained removal of caveats on his assets held by KCB Bank Rwanda. The court rulings against him in Uganda were also upheld by Rwandan courts, allowing the enforcement of debt recovery. It is understood that his assets, including Century Park Hotel Kigali, Billy Bistro, and some land in Nyarutarama, were placed on auction in Rwanda to recover the money owed to creditors. However, Cheung’s total assets appeared to be worth less than the money he was required to pay to his debtors. His defence team argued that the case against him is a civil debt dispute, not a criminal matter. They also claimed that Ugandan court rulings were based on manipulated documents and that accusations of money laundering lack merit. The Primary Court of Kicukiro remanded him on February 24, citing reasonable grounds for suspecting him of the crimes. Flight risk He appealed against the decision, giving reasons including a claim that the court did not have jurisdiction over the case since a number of crimes for which he was being prosecuted were allegedly committed outside of Rwanda. He also said that he is not in good health to stay in detention. The prosecutors, however, noted that he is a flight risk and should be in detention as his case continues. In an appeal ruling that took place on Tuesday, April 8, the intermediate court resolved that there were enough reasonable grounds to suspect him, and also maintained that he is a flight risk. The presiding judge noted that Rwandan courts have jurisdiction to hear his case since, among other reasons, he is a resident of the country. The court upheld his remand, and his case in substance will continue while he is in custody.
