KIGALI.Rwanda’s sweeping crackdown on alcoholic beverages has taken a dramatic turn after the Director General of the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Professor Emile Bienvenu, was arrested alongside 17 other officials over offences linked to the production and distribution of illicit alcoholic beverages.
Bienvenu, whose agency has been at the centre of the crackdown that has seen hundreds of alcohol brands recalled and more than 140 companies closed, was among the suspects paraded before the media at the headquarters of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) in the Kimihurura suburb of Kigali, on Thursday, August 13.
According to Rwandan daily, The New Times, 10 of the 18 suspects are officials linked to Rwanda FDA, while the others include a division manager from the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) and executive secretaries from different cells and sectors.
The arrests come amid an aggressive nationwide campaign against alcoholic beverages that Rwanda authorities consider illicit or non-compliant.
Since August 2, more than 140 companies have reportedly been closed, while hundreds of alcohol brands, including gins and vodkas, have been recalled from the market. More than 50 alcohol brands have also been subjected to an importation ban, according to The New Times.
At least 16 company owners, managers and other staff had also been arrested before Thursday’s arrests.
The latest development is particularly significant for Uganda because several Ugandan alcohol brands have been caught up in Rwanda’s regulatory actions and restrictions.
Among the Ugandan brands affected in the wider crackdown are Uganda Waragi, Bond 7, Gilbeys and V&A Sherry, all brands in Uganda Breweries Limited’s portfolio.
The restrictions have triggered concern among Ugandan consumers and businesses because Rwanda is an important regional market, particularly for products manufactured in Uganda and traded across the border.
The latest arrests, however, suggest that Rwanda’s authorities are now examining not only the manufacturers and traders targeted by the crackdown, but also officials responsible for regulating the sector.
RIB spokesperson Thierry Murangira, according to The New Times, said investigators had established that some public officials allegedly abused their authority for personal benefit, while others allegedly facilitated companies involved in producing alcoholic beverages that did not meet required standards.
“Some officials abused the powers entrusted to them for personal benefit,” The New Times quotes Murangira as telling reporters on Thursday.
Murangira, according to The New Times, said some officials linked to standards enforcement were among those under investigation, while some local leaders were suspected of facilitating the activities by issuing certificates.
The investigation also uncovered cases in which companies were allegedly operating without meeting Good Manufacturing Practices requirements, according to Murangira.
“Some companies used branding to appear legitimate, but their production was carried out in unhygienic conditions,” Murangira is quoted as saying.
He also said investigators had found irregularities in product registration, including cases in which companies registered certain products but later manufactured additional products that had not been registered.
The investigation is not limited to Rwanda FDA.
Officials from Rwanda Standards Board and local governments are also among those under scrutiny, with investigators examining whether regulatory and administrative powers were improperly used to facilitate companies accused of producing or distributing non-compliant alcoholic beverages.
The New Times reported that RIB had forwarded 97 case files related to illicit alcohol offences to prosecutors since July 20.
Officials convicted of abusing their authority face between seven and 10 years in prison and fines ranging from Rwf5 million to Rwf10 million, according to Murangira as quoted by The New Times.
The arrests come just days after Rwanda intensified its action against alcoholic beverages, with authorities warning consumers about products they say are manufactured or distributed outside required safety and quality standards.
The crackdown has also affected imported alcohol, including products from neighbouring countries.
For Uganda, the developments add a new dimension to a dispute that had largely been viewed through the lens of consumer safety, standards and cross-border trade.
The Ugandan brands affected by Rwanda’s measures are established products in Uganda. Uganda Waragi, for example, is manufactured by Uganda Breweries and is described by the company as Uganda’s first manufactured triple-distilled gin.
Bond 7, Gilbeys and V&A Sherry are also part of Uganda Breweries’ established spirits portfolio.
Rwanda’s latest arrests do not, however, mean that the Ugandan brands implicated in its alcohol restrictions have been cleared of any regulatory concerns. The investigations announced by RIB concern alleged offences involving officials, manufacturers and other actors within Rwanda’s alcohol regulatory and production system.
The case therefore leaves several questions unanswered, including whether the investigations will affect the enforcement decisions that have disrupted alcohol imports and sales in Rwanda and whether some of the regulatory actions taken during the crackdown will be reviewed.
For now, Prof Bienvenu and the other suspects remain under investigation, while Rwanda’s authorities continue with the wider campaign against alcoholic beverages they classify as illicit or non-compliant.
What began as a crackdown on alcohol producers and brands has now turned inward, putting some of the very officials entrusted with policing the sector under investigation.