APA – Kigali (Rwanda) – Rwanda cycling federation chief , Benoit Munyankindi currently under 30-day preventive detention over favoritism and nepotism on Monday filed an appeal before a court in Kigali seeking a provisional release.
Munyankindi is appealing against the Kicukiro Primary Court’s decision to detain him on charges of using forged documents, favoritism, and nepotism.
During the hearing, Munyankindi said that his appeal was based on the claim that he had been remanded for a crime he did not commit. He argued that the lower court had overlooked the surety he had provided, along with his explanation.
According to the prosecution, they alleged that he committed favoritism and nepotism by including his wife on the official delegates list to attend a cycling competition abroad, and this was done using forged documents.
On the prosecution’s side, they urged the court to uphold the lower court’s decision and keep him in remand.
The conviction of Munyankindi comes after two other senior managers at Rwanda National Olympic Committee have been shortly arrested before being released last year over favoritism and forgery by taking close relatives abroad during 2022 Commonwealth Games, in UK.
These offences are suspected to have been committed last year during the preparation of Rwanda’s participation in the commonwealth games.
Police reports then showed that one of the suspects Jean de Dieu Mukundiyukuri, the Executive Director at RNOSC listed his wife among the official delegates to Birmingham and gave her the title of Administrative Personnel alongside his two children.
He also put his other friend one list to Birmingham. He eventually disappeared upon arrival.
On the other hand, the then Head of Rwanda’s mission to the Commonwealth Games, Jean-Jacques Mugisha also put his wife and child on the list, but they were later removed despite securing UK visa documents among others.
CU/abj/APA