Two senior officials of the Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee (RNOSC) appeared before Kicukiro primary court to answer to charges of forgery, nepotism and favouritism. The suspects are Jean-Jacques Mugisha, Head of Rwanda's mission to the Commonwealth Games, and Jean de Dieu Mukundiyukuri, the Executive Director at RNOSC. The trial started at 9:00 am and the duo was represented by Vestine Dusenge and Philibert Rutagengwa while the prosecution was represented by Charles Kayove. The prosecution started by explaining the reasons they brought the defendants before the court as well as the reasonable grounds to pin them on the charges they are facing and requested that the suspects be remanded to pave the way for investigations. Kayove said that the two are suspected to have applied for visas and accreditation for seven people who were not supposed to be delegates to travel to Birmingham through the olympics committee without notifying any of the executive committee members. Kayove pointed out that the two included among the delegation their wives, children and friends. He concluded by requesting the court to remand them arguing that they might escape justice or interfere in the ongoing investigation. However, the accused denied the charges arguing that what was done is the usual procedure before a delegation leaves for such games. Munyakuri pointed out that the people who filed the case want to get rid of him so as to embezzle government funds and argued that he has been fighting for that not to happen. In addition, he told court that the whole process of including non-delegates is done adding that there are three categories in which people can be added to the list of those allowed to go for the Commonwealth Games. “There is always a column for athletes and coaches among other staff, another part is for high-level officials including President, Prime Minister, Sports Minister, and country envoys while the last part is for anyone willing to support their country in the games,” he said. Moreover, he said that those people were in the last category and there was nothing wrong with it since they covered their own expenses during the tournament. They both sought for bail and presented sureties including Marie-Immaculee Ingabire, the head of Transparency International Rwanda among others. The judge ruled that the court decision on the matter would be rendered next week on November 22.
