Former Governor Gasana was sentence to three and ahalf years in prison.
Nyagatare Intermediate Court on Thursday sentenced the former Governor of Eastern Province, CG (Rtd) Emmanuel Gasana, to three years and six months in prison and imposed a fine of Rwf36 million after he was found guilty on the charge of abuse of office but was acquitted on the charge of acquiring illegal benefits.
The court pronounced the verdict on April 11, 2024, with the Judge indicating that Gasana woud have been sentenced to seven years in prison and a fine of 144 million Frw, but the court exercised leniency and handed him a lesser sentence on medical grounds.
In March this year, the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) had sought a 10-year sentence for CG (Rtd) Gasana and a fine of Rwf144m for what they described as serious crimes he committed while he was still Governor of Eastern Province.
CG (Rtd) Gasana was arrested on October 26, 2023 before being arraigned in the Nyagatare -based court, where he was denied bail and transferred to Nyarugenge Correctional Facility, located in Mageragere.
CG (Rtd) Gasana, who previously served as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was accused of coercing a businessman identified as Eric Karinganire, to provide a service for him in his Nyagatare farm before he could help push his irrigation project across the province.
Prosecutors said Karinganire had an irrigation project he was implementing in Eastern Province but he needed the support and funding of districts, which Gasana reportedly offered to push but after the businessman offered him a service to drill water in his macadamia farm.
In May 2022, the contractor is said to have encountered challenges of rolling out the irrigation project in Karenge sector, Rwamagana district and the Governor promised to intervene for him to get the support. The duo met in a hotel in Nyagatare where they discussed the prior work Karinganire needed to do before getting the support.
It was said in court that the two agreed and Karinganire availed the water in Gasana’s farm in July 2022, after which Gasana started connecting the entrepreneur to districts.
However, soon or later, the project stalled and Gasana is said to have called off whatever they had agreed upon, after it was allegedly found that Karinganire had taken money from many farmers, to the tune of Rwf300m, but never delivered the irrigation systems.
Upon learning that Gasana reportedly terminated contact with Karinganire and removed the water pumping system. It is said that Karinganire, who is also in jail for extorting money from individuals and failed to deliver, reported the case, which led to Gasana’s arrest and subsequent charging.
It is Karinganire who reportedly shared the information. Gasana accused Karinganire of lying to court and falsifying information because they had bursted him and he was about to go down for defrauding citizens.
However, Prosecutors said Gasana could not deny that Karinganire offered a service to him, out of his own influence, and shared proof of exchanges between the duo on the progress of the project.
Gasana does not deny meeting Karinganire but he said they were discussing projects that would benefit the people, not himself but the surrounding communities, literally accusing the businessman of trying to go down with others in a case he is accused of taking money from citizens and not delivering.
Gasana also argued that he advocated for him because he had understood the importance of the irrigation project he was implementing and the difference it would make, hence encouraging districts to work with him, but he did not know that he was defrauding people.
It is not yet clear if the former Governor will appeal the decision.
