Prosecutors told the court that investigations into the production of alcoholic beverages that have raised concerns among the public found that some manufacturers, including Ingufu Gin, had allegedly failed to comply with required quality and safety standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prosecution said one of the grounds for seeking Ntihanabayo\u2019s pre-trial detention was his alleged failure to ensure compliance with quality standards, resulting in the production of beverages that did not meet the required standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prosecutors said manufacturers are expected to conduct tests to determine whether substances contained in their products could pose health risks to consumers, but alleged that such testing was not carried out at Ingufu Gin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen such testing is not conducted, it can have adverse health effects on people who consume these beverages over a long period,\u201d the prosecutor told the court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prosecution also alleged that Ingufu Gin did not have documentation showing that the tanks used to store beverages at the factory were properly cleaned and sanitised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It further alleged that ethanol was not stored in accordance with safety requirements. Investigators reportedly found that the ethanol was kept in an area where temperature levels were not controlled and whose conditions did not comply with applicable standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to prosecutors, these conditions could cause the concentration of ethanol to rise to as high as 94%, potentially affecting the quality of the products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prosecution said ethanol at such a concentration could pose a significant fire risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It argued that improper storage increased the risk of fire and could expose factory workers to health risks through inhalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another ground cited by prosecutors concerned the alleged improper storage of flavouring substances used to give alcoholic beverages their taste, aroma and colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prosecution told the court that the flavours used in Ingufu Gin\u2019s alcoholic beverages did not indicate their source or origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investigators also allegedly found that some of the caps used to seal the beverages had exceeded their recommended period of use. Prosecutors said this could pose health risks to consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ntihanabayo denies personal responsibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ntihanabayo told the court that he is an investor whose role was to establish different departments within the company responsible for ensuring that operations were properly conducted and products met the required quality standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He argued that if violations had occurred, the employees responsible for the relevant areas should be held accountable because they had been given the authority to oversee them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The judge questioned whether Ntihanabayo\u2019s position as an investor and the existence of employees responsible for quality control meant that the alleged violations did not concern him personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDoes that mean that your company is separate from you as an individual?\u201d the judge asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The judge further told Ntihanabayo that the prosecution was alleging that he had personally played a role in the violations, despite his argument that specific employees had been assigned responsibility for quality control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ntihanabayo asked the court to allow him to remain free while investigations continue, saying he had no intention of interfering with or obstructing the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ntihanabayo\u2019s lawyer challenged some of the grounds presented by the prosecution, including the allegation that the factory used expired caps to seal its alcoholic beverages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lawyer argued that liqueurs generally do not have an expiry period in the same way as some other products and questioned the prosecution\u2019s claim that the caps had exceeded their permitted period of use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lawyer also asked the court to allow Ntihanabayo to remain free while the case proceeds, arguing that his detention could affect several other investments he has made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These include a school and a project to build a market in Biryogo, which the lawyer said could be delayed if Ntihanabayo is remanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The court will consider the arguments from both sides before ruling on the prosecution\u2019s request for 30 days of pre-trial detention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prosecutors have asked the Kicukiro Primary Court to order 30 days of pre-trial detention for Ntihanabayo Samuel, the owner and Managing Director of Ingufu Gin, a company that manufactures alcoholic beverages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000123615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[69],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000123613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-40","tag-homehighlights","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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