Kicukiro Primary Court has adjourned the bail ruling of Diogene Mulindahabi, the Principal of IPRC Kigali campus, and 18 other suspects, to November 22. The defendants are being prosecuted over several charges including theft, forgery, and embezzlement, among other charges. Initially, the ruling was scheduled to take place today, November 18, but was pushed to next week over the length of the dossier, according to the judge. During the bail hearing, which took place on November15, prosecution told court that 19 staff of IPRC Kigali who are all in custody are accused of stealing school property worth Rwf113 million. Among the accused is the school Principal Mulindahabi, the Director of Finance Thomas Vander Muhimpundu, storekeeper Jean Claude Nabo, the plumber Venuste Hakizimana, some teachers and security personnel, among others. All but one suspect pleaded not guilty and requested bail, citing different reasons. According to the prosecution, Mulindahabi is accused of having stolen pressure pumps and six-meter steel bars. In his defence, he denied any involvement in the disappearance of the pumps. “Witness said that the pump I have is similar to the one moved from former Eto Kicukiro (current IPRC-Kigali) in 2012 while the one I have was made in 2015,” he explained. In addition, he pointed out that the steel bars he is accused of stealing were not from the school but that he bought them from a factory and has proof of payment. Meanwhile, the storekeeper is accused of forging an inventory for assorted materials worth Rwf80m, which reportedly were all taken from the store on a single day on July 30, 2022. The inventory in question justifies stock of construction materials, and electric and plumbing materials, claiming that they were in store yet they weren’t there. In his defence, Nabo told court that he compiled the inventory when he resigned and wanted to give a picture of the store before he left the school for another job. Commenting on why all these materials were signed off in a single day, yet the materials were taken at different times, Nabo said that there were times of emergency when materials were taken from the stores and not signed off to reflect the actual inventory. Prosecution requested the court to remand all the accused saying that there is reasonable ground to suspect that they committed the crimes they are being accused of. It was also heard in court that some materials have been recovered from various places across the country, including in the homes of the accused. IPRC Kigali was closed late October, for two weeks, by the Ministry of Education to pave way for investigations after it was declared a crime scene, following the discovery of alleged theft of assorted equipment belonging to the school. Students were allowed back in school on November 7.
