{Police in Gatsibo District have arrested one Eraste Niyigena, a local entrepreneur for allegedly using forged documents to win two tenders worth Rwf1.4 billion.}
Niyigena is accused of forging proof of previous contracts he had successfully executed in order to win a tender to construct a health centre in Ngarama sector and Agakiriro, artisanal Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Gatsibo Sector.
The two projects were supposed to kick off by July last year and should be in the completion state now. However, little has been done so far.
The District Police Commander (DPC), Supt. Eric Kabera, said: “After realizing that there were many stalled projects in the district and several complaints related to procurement procedures, we launched investigations to find out what would be the problem; we investigated project by project and in the process of authenticating Niyigena’s bidding documents we discovered some forgeries.”
Some of the forged document Niyigenza used include one which he indicated that he had constructed a 12km road in Gakeke District at a tune of Rwf652 million.
“In authenticating the documents, we reached out to Gakenke District and we were clearly informed that Niyigenza has never done any project in the district and that the documents he provided were forged. We arrested him as we continue with the investigations,” said Supt. Kabera.
The suspect had already pocketed Rwf150 million by the time of his arrest. He is currently held at Kabarore Police station.
“Investigations are still going on to find out if there are other forgeries or accomplices.”
He also warned entrepreneurs against violating tender and procurement procedures saying that several measures have been put in place to identify such people.
Under article 609 of the penal code, “any person who forges or alters documents by forged signature or fingerprint, falsifying documents or signatures or impersonation, forging agreements, its provisions, obligations, discharged obligations shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five to seven years and a fine of Rwf300, 000 to Rwf3 million.”
Under articles 628 and 629, any person, who discloses information on specifications of a tender before its publication, illegally influences evaluation tender processes, or offers a tender to an unqualified party; shall be liable to a term of imprisonment between six months to two years and a fine between Rwf0.5 million and Rwf2 million.
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