Nyarugenge Intermediary Court has handed a 3-year sentence to former Prime Minister Dr Pierre Damien Habumuremyi on account of issuing unguaranteed cheques.
The ruling has been read today with minority presence of the Habumuremyi’s relatives as the convict was in Nyarugenge prison where he is detained.
The court also slapped him Rwf 892 million fine million while co-accused Charles Serushyana has been acquitted of signing on a cheque for an account which is not credited.
During the previous hearing held on 6th November, the prosecution requested Nyarugenge Intermediate Court to hand five-year sentence to Habumuremyi and slap him the fine of Rwf892.2 million for issuing a bounced cheque.
Concerning the other crime of breach of trust, prosecution requested imprisonment of three years and Rwf1 million fine for the suspect.
The former Prime Minister was arrested in July following the closure of the Christian University of Rwanda (CHUR) to which he was owner and legal representative.
The university management was also accused of not paying lecturers and other employees, which had prompted an audit from the Higher Education Council.
Before closure by the Ministry of Education, his university had campuses in Kigali and another one in Karongi District.
Alleged crimes were in connection to anomalies in the management of the university where he was said to have accumulated millions of francs in debts to different suppliers to his university. The university management was also accused of not paying lecturers and other employees.
Habumuremyi has been pleading not guilty of all charges against him at different hearings.
Habumuremyi appeared in Gasabo Primary Court for the first time in July 2020.
Habumuremyi served as Prime Minister of Rwanda from 7th October 2011 until 24th July 2014. Since 2015, Habumuremyi has served as the chairman of Chancellery for Heroes, National Orders and Decoration of Honour prior to his arrest.
