Police in Ngoma District have foiled the theft of 7.5 tons of bean seeds meant for the farmers in Remera Sector.
Police said the vehicle transporting the seeds was intercepted in Remera Sector on Wednesday, March 23.
The seeds had been given to the residents of Remera by the government to increase crop production.
Preliminary investigations indicate the agronomist of Remera Sector connived with other two cell executive secretaries and sold the seeds.
Four people, who include the agronomist, two cell leaders in Remera and the driver of the intercepted truck, who is said to be the buyer, have since been arrested in the ongoing investigations.
Inspector of Police (IP) Emmanuel Kayigi said the foiled unlawful sale came to light after residents of Remera saw people loading bags of bean seeds on the truck.
“Normally, under the instructions from the Ministry of Agriculture, no farmer should be given more than 20 kilogrammes of bean seeds. So, when residents saw people loading the seeds on the truck at the sector stores, they suspected a foul-play and immediately called police, officers arrived shortly and intercepted the vehicle in Nyamagana, where it was also loading other bags of the seeds,” IP Kayigi said.
“After his arrest, the driver, said he had an understanding with the agronomist and the local leaders in question, where he brought 7.5 tons of beans and exchanged it with the seeds. Besides being illegal to give these seeds to non-residents, we suspect that there were also bribes involved, but investigations are still underway,” he added.
Normally, a farmer is supposed to bring not more than 20 kilogrammes of beans to swap with the same quantity of seeds.
According to IP Kayigi, the leaders’ actions contravenes article 325 of the penal code.
It partly stipulates that “any employee, who embezzles public or private property, funds, negotiable instruments, documents, or movable property which are entrusted to him/her, by virtue of his/her office; shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of seven to ten years and a fine of two to five times the value of the embezzled or destroyed property.
He thanked the residents for “standing up to fight for what legally belongs to them”, adding that “everyone has a responsibility to know and protect their interests in a lawful manner”
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