Speaking to IGIHE, the Spokesperson of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau, Modeste Mbabazi confirmed that the duo’s files were transferred to the prosecution. “Their dossiers were transferred to prosecution yesterday,’’ he said.
Francois Regis Uwayezu, the Secretary General of the Rwanda’s Football Federation (FERWAFA) and Eric Ruhamiriza, the In Charge of Competitions at FERWAFA, were arrested on September 13 amid allegations of attempting to bribe Jackson Pavaza, the Namibian referee who officiated the AFCON qualifier game between Rwanda and Ivory Coast.
Rwanda’s Amavubi were defeated 1-2 by Ivory Coast’s Elephants in the second group H match day of the TOTAL 2019 CAF African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Sunday, September 9, 2018.
Pavaza, who was voted Namibia’s Referee of the Year 2017, made allegations of the bribery allegations on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 as reported in the Namibian news website namibiansun.com.
Pavaza said one of the men who offered him the brown envelope claimed to be the Rwanda Football Federation secretary-general, but initially said he did not know whether the person was indeed the incumbent, Francois Regis Uwayezu.
However, after being sent a picture of Uwayezu, Pavaza confirmed it was indeed him. The other man, Pavaza said, was Rwandan football official, Eric Ruhamiriza.
“The money was in an envelope. I did not try to count it or see how much it I was. I just told them that I do not accept any gifts from anyone, as per CAF regulations. I rejected it and reported the matter to CAF,” Pavaza said.
Following the allegations, FERWAFA denied the bribe charges in a statement saying that, “with extensive knowledge of CAF Regulations, FERWAFA can never and will never be indulged in any form of corruption that goes along the way in jeopardizing the high level of integrity and professionalism of the game.”
FERWAFA explained that “On Friday, September 7, 2018, after the Match Coordination Meeting held at Rwanda Football Federation, chaired by Match Commissioner Mike Letti from Uganda, the four Namibian match officials were paid USD 247 as extra expenses incurred by the quartet as confirmed by the Namibian Football Association (NFA) as mandated by article 36 & 37 of the 2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying Regulations.
“However,”the FERWAFA statement further reads, “the referees claimed that there were other extras that were incurred on their flight to Kigali which needed to be paid also.”
This, according to FERWAFA, made Ruhamiriza alongside Uwayezu head to Hotel des Mille Collines, with a sum of USD 948 to be shared by the four match officials. The two arrived at the hotel on Sunday morning, 11am and met the referees in open public, at the terraces of the hotel, gave them their extra expenses as they had requested.
It was at this moment moment that Pavaza brought to the attention of FERWAFA officials that the money which was requested for the extra expenses incurred amounted to a total of USD 237 not a USD 948 as FERWAFA had prepared.
The FERWAFA Officials advised Pavaza to proceed with his preparations of officiating the match whose kick-off time was 15:30 at Stade de Kigali and then payment of the agreed USD 237 would be done after the game since the two FERWAFA officials had no changed money equivalent to USD 237 as demanded. Pavaza agreed to have the payment done after the game.
“Upon departing for Kigali International Airport on Sunday night, Pavaza was given and signed the receipt of USD 237 in presence of match commissioner Mr. Mike Letti,” stated FERWAFA.
According to FERWAFA, what really happened was mis-communication on the exact amount of money that was demanded by Pavaza in his initial communication to Mr. Ruhamiriza which should not be taken as form of bribery as alleged by Namibian referee Pavaza.
The Confederation of the African Fotball (CAF) has a zero tolerance for bribery. CAF in July announced that it had dismissed 22 referees over bribery.
Article 641 of Rwanda’s Penal Code stipulates that any person who directly or indirectly offers a gift in order to get an illegal service or refrain from carrying out any usual duties shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of five to seven years and a fine of twice or up to ten times the value of what they had offered in bribes.
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