Kicukiro primary court will next week hear the case of 19 persons indicted in allegations of theft and misuse of funds at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional College(IPRC)-Kigali.
The number of suspects in the case, including the IPRC Principal, Diogène Mulindahabi was initially having 12 suspects but at a bail hearing for the first group of suspects court revealed that the number in the case has increased to 19.
Other high profile suspects in the case include the Director of Administration and Finance, Thomas Muhimpundu and the Director of Logistics Mediatrice Uwantege among other suspects who have been arrested at different occasions since the case came into the limelight.
Case of theft at IPRC Kigali was made public by Rwanda’s Ministry of Education(Mineduc) on Sunday, October 23 with a subsequent two week’s temporary closure.
The IPRC Kigali facilities were reopened to students and staff but pending further investigations which could have resulted in the increase of the number of suspects.
Following the increased number of suspects and the new group of suspects not having defense lawyers as witnessed on November 10, 2022, the court judge adjourned the case hearing to November 15, 2022.
Court said that this will allow the suspects to acquire defense attorneys, but also prepare for the hearing by going through and comprehending their case files.
Lawyers in the case also had different opinions on the court’s decision to combine the case files of both groups into one file, since they had similar charges, but later agreed on this decision to allow the trial to take place without delay.
