The proprietor of Rwanda Focus Limited, Shyaka Kanuma has been arrested in connection with evading taxes and a procurement-related offence through which he fraudulently won a tender in Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (RDRC).
Rwanda National Police (RNP) deputy spokesperson, Chief Supt. Lynder Nkuranga confirmed the arrest to TrumpetNews.
“Shyaka Kanuma was arrested last over the weekend acting on a formal case filed by Rwanda Revenue Authority regarding unpaid taxes that accumulated over the years, among other crimes,” Chief Supt. Nkuranga said, without giving details because the case is under investigations.
“He is currently detained at Remera Police station pending further investigations into charges brought against him,” she added.
It is said that Shyaka owes the tax body Rwf65 million which he evaded in the last three years, through varied unscrupulous means.
He is also alleged to have fraudulently won a tender worth Rwf44 million from the demobilization commission after he used names of people he would use to execute the tender, as a prerequisite, who were not informed that they were part of the bid.
The demobilization commission allegedly awarded Kanuma Rwf44 million tender on the basis of “deliberate falsified information” after he used names of partners who were neither partners nor aware their names were being used.
Kanuma closed his media company – Rwanda Focus Limited – recently apparently over financial-related issues.
“Shyaka is a conman who has been evading taxes, fraudulently cheating various institutions and couldn’t even pay his employees,” the source said.
It is also alleged that by the time he closed his company, Shyaka also owed different people and his employees over Rwf18 million.
He further acquired a grant of Rwf3 million from Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) apparently to run his media business, which he instead used to service part of the Rwf90 million bank loan.
Shyaka late last month took on to his twitter handle and declared that he was becoming apolitical activist. He later deleted the tweet after being cautioned.