RWANDA: The New Times MD arrested

 

ORDERED Arrest: Emmanuel Gasana.

Police yesterday arrested the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The New Times Publications, Joseph Bideri.
Bideri was interrogated at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Kacyiru for the better part of yesterday, before he was handcuffed and whisked off to Kicukiro Police Station, in a saloon car, at around 9.30pm.
 Speaking to The New Times last night, Police Spokesman, Superintendent Theos Badege, confirmed Bideri had been interrogated and later detained, but could not divulge the underlying motive.
“It’s true he is in our custody, and investigations are still ongoing. You will know the details in due course,” he said.
 The Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, also declined to reveal reasons behind the arrest, saying he was not a CID officer. “You will get to know all the details tomorrow,” the police boss said.
He also turned down a request by The New Times journalists to visit Bideri and an attempt by some editors to see him later at the police station did not succeed.
However, Bideri telephoned the Ag. Managing Editor, James Munyaneza, at around 7p.m, and told him he had been arrested over stories The New Times published recently about the ongoing controversy revolving around Rukarara hydro power project in Nyamagabe District, Southern Province.
“I would like you to know that I have been put under arrest over the Rukarara stories, please go ahead with work, and don’t expect me back tonight,” Munyaneza quoted Bideri as telling him.
Both Gasana and Badege could not confirm this version.
According to his driver, William Rukundo, Bideri first visited police headquarters at around 11.30 am, and met with CID chief, Christophe Bizimungu, before  returning to his office.
He was summoned again at around 1p.m and was made to wait for over an hour, without anyone explaining why he had been summoned.
Sources say both Gasana and Bizimungu were seen talking to him at various times.
“He kept asking why he had been summoned and made to wait for so long without anybody talking to him,” the source said.
At around 4:15p.m, Bideri called Munyaneza to inquire how many stories the publication had ran about the Rukarara controversy lately, with a specific emphasis on the latest one that came out last Saturday.
“He talked as if someone was on his case; like he was being watched closely,” Munyaneza said.
Bideri was reportedly rushed to hospital shortly after midnight.
Two weeks ago, Parliament set up an ad hoc committee to investigate alleged malpractices around Rukarara hydro power and Mutobo water projects.
The concern followed two consecutive days of questioning, in parliament, of the Minister of Infrastructure, Albert Nsengiyumva, and the State Minister for Energy and Water, Emma Francoise Isumbingabo.
The House decided to conduct its own inquiry into the two projects after lawmakers overwhelmingly voted that a probe team be set up to investigate them.
The two ministers had appeared before the House to explain what MPs suspect are damning glitches in the energy sector, which they say caused huge losses to the treasury.

Source: Newtimes, Tuesday November 15, 2011