On October 22, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) presented 10 individuals accused of crimes including duplicating alcoholic beverages, tax evasion, bribery, and administering harmful substances.
The suspects, consisting of nine men and one woman, aged between 24 and 60, allegedly used bottles of well-known liquor brands to distribute their own brews in shops and markets across Kigali.
RIB Spokesperson Thierry Murangira stated that three suspects were directly involved in duplicating liquor, while the other seven acted as accomplices.
One suspect, who owned a banana wine factory, used RRA tax stamps to give legitimacy to the duplicated alcohol and kept prices suspiciously lower than other brands.
Murangira also revealed that one of the suspects attempted to bribe a RIB agent with over Rwf7 million in exchange for release, promising additional money once freed.
The woman among the suspects owned the Gisozi house where the illegal operations took place. Murangira urged local leaders to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, highlighting the risk of corruption among local authorities.
Eric Nyirimigabo, head of the Food Department at the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority, warned that the duplicated liquor contained dangerous substances like acetic acid, volatile alcohol, ethanol, and methanol, which pose serious health risks, including blindness and death.
He stressed the need for public vigilance and awareness to combat the dangers of illicit beverages.
