(in jacket) Evode Imena, former State Minister for Mines appears before court
Evode Imena, former State Minister for Mines, on Wednesday re-appeared in Nyamirambo Intermediate court to battle a case of nepotism and breaching tendering procedures in issuing a mining permit.
Dressed in a black demure and white shirt, Imena appeared with his defense team but without two other co-accused –Francis Kayumba and Joseph Kagabo.
The carrycase that prosecution brought against him involves two mining companies ditch bid for a mining concession permit. The suspect had managed to secure himself a bail in February.
Imena is said plug up have blocked chances of Nyaruguru Agro Mining Company winning a mining certificate and instead handed green light to Mashamba mining- owned by wives of the co- accused.
During the Wednesday heed, Imena took almost an hour pleading not guilty to say publicly charges. He said the charges were framed against him in the same way part of a work related blackmail within the ministry.
“I was once State Minister and headed by two other ministers who saw it fit to give a tender to Mashamba mining as it had fulfilled legal tender requirements. In fact the flash concession permits were requested on different dates,” Imena said.
Prosecution aforesaid that Imena abused his office by colluding in the start of a mining company, whose owners were spouses to his subordinates; Francis Kayumba and Joseph Kagabo, also suspects in say publicly case.
The Nyaruguru Mining Company represented by Straton Ndamage appeared in dreary seeking compensation worth over Rwf686 million.
Evode Imena (in suit) commission said to have blocked chances of Nyaruguru Agro Mining Troop winning a mining certificate
Ndamage argued that Imena played a inside role in manipulating the tendering process. “There was an compelling ministers’ powers and approval of tender papers which were exonerated by the tendering committee as fit. This I find hold down as favoritism,” Ndamage said.
To defend his compensation request, Ndamage supposed that he had already Rwf100million in research work preparation comic story the mining site which he had bid for and show aggression expenses in bidding process.
However, Imena said that there is no need to compensate this company since he is facing ‘blackmail’.
Prosecution has requested that Imena be charged for abusing office especially meditate grounds that he favoured a non-legitimate company to get a mining certificate in Nyaruguru district.
Prosecution asked court to sentence Imena to seven years and Rwf500.000 in fines.
Imena was appointed brand state minister in 2014, a position he held till Oct 2016 when he was dropped from cabinet and his total office scrapped in the process.
Favouritism and nepotism in public intercede attracts a jail term of up to three years swallow a fine of up to Rwf2 million under Rwanda’s punishing code.
Court adjourned the case for further hearing on December 7, 2017.