The Nyamata Primary Court has granted bail to Hassan Bahame, the Coordinator of the Gitagata Rehabilitation Centre, who was arrested on suspicion of abuse of authority for personal gain and soliciting or engaging in sexual exploitation of women undergoing rehabilitation. The court on Tuesday, January 13, ordered Bahame’s provisional release pending trial, citing a lack of reasonable grounds to suspect that he committed the alleged offences. ALSO READ: Gitagata rehab boss’ sexual exploitation case hearing delayed The bail hearing, held on January 8, was conducted in camera at the request of his defence team, which cited the sensitive nature of the case. Bahame, a former mayor of Rubavu District, was arrested by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) on December 16. He has served as Coordinator of the Gitagata Rehabilitation Centre since 2021. According to the prosecution file, the case against him stems from information allegedly received by RIB in 2022, indicating that Bahame was sexually exploiting women undergoing rehabilitation in exchange for favours. These alleged favours included early release from the centre and financial support to start small businesses after rehabilitation. The prosecution claimed that Bahame threatened the women with re-arrest if they failed to comply. During the January 8 hearing, Bahame denied the charges against him. The prosecution said there are several accounts to support the allegations, including testimony from two women who claimed they had sexual relations with Bahame. One of the women alleged that she got pregnant and Bahame later gave her money to terminate the pregnancy, as well as facilitating her early release from the centre before her rehabilitation period was completed. The prosecution also cited statements from staff members at the centre, who claimed they had heard that Bahame was sexually exploiting women undergoing rehabilitation. Based on these allegations, the prosecution had requested that Bahame be remanded in custody for 30 days pending trial. Bahame pleaded not guilty, saying he never committed any of the alleged offences. In its ruling, the court noted that although the prosecution claimed RIB received information about the alleged sexual exploitation in 2022, it failed to produce evidence showing when the investigation file was officially opened regarding that issue, and if RIB had indeed received such information, it would be unreasonable to assume the institution would have remained inactive for such a period. The court further ruled that the prosecution failed to present concrete evidence proving that the woman codenamed AJ was sexually exploited. While evidence showed that AJ returned home before completing her rehabilitation period, the court noted that the medical report on file indicated she was released due to a serious illness. The report was duly signed by a doctor, casting doubt on the prosecution’s claims. The court also highlighted inconsistencies in testimony regarding the alleged pregnancy. One witness claimed the woman was pregnant, and later stated that she had miscarried, and then alleged that Bahame assisted her in terminating the pregnancy. Regarding other witnesses, the court ruled that some testimonies were contradictory, while others were based on unverified reports. The court further found that the investigation findings were insufficient, as no witness testified to having directly witnessed Bahame sexually assaulting any of the women. Therefore, Bahame was granted bail pending the trial.
