The Prosecution has requested that Ntihanabayo Samuel, the Managing Director and owner of Ingufu Gin, a factory that produces alcoholic beverages, be remanded in custody for 30 days pending trial.
On the morning of 25 August 2026, some of the people among a group of 80 suspects, including those accused of producing substandard alcoholic drinks commonly known as ibyuma, appeared before the Kicukiro Primary Court.
The defendants are being prosecuted for offences related to the manufacturing, selling, distributing, or importing of substandard beverages.
A total of 16 defendants appeared before the court to argue their cases regarding whether they should remain in detention or be released on provisional bail.
At around 10:00 a.m., the judge informed the parties that the hearing had begun and explained that the cases would be heard in groups of three to four defendants.
Ntihanabayo Samuel, together with Twahirwa Fulgence, who is responsible for quality control at Ingufu Gin, and Katushabe Donias, who is responsible for production at the factory, were the first to appear before the court.
Prosecution Outlines Quality and Safety Failures
The Prosecution stated that after the relevant authorities began investigations to determine why alcoholic beverages were continuing to cause problems among Rwandans, it was found that factories, including Ingufu Gin, had failed to comply with regulations.
The Prosecution argued that one of the reasons why Ntihanabayo should be detained for 30 days pending trial is that he allegedly ignored quality standards and produced substandard beverages, which had negative consequences for the public.
The Prosecution said that tests are normally carried out to determine whether the substances contained in beverages produced by factories could harm the health of consumers, but that such tests were not carried out at Ingufu Gin.
The prosecutor said: “When such testing is not carried out, the beverages may have negative health effects on people who consume them over a long period of time.” Another major issue raised by the Prosecution was that the management of Ingufu Gin failed to provide documents showing that the tanks used to store beverages at the factory were regularly cleaned and sanitized.
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Unregulated Storage and Safety Risks
The Prosecution also stated that Ingufu Gin did not store ethanol properly. According to the investigation, the ethanol was kept in an area where the temperature was not controlled, and the conditions of the storage area did not comply with regulations.
The Prosecution explained that this could cause the concentration of ethanol to increase significantly, reaching 94%, which could affect the quality and safety of the products.
It further stated that when ethanol reaches a concentration of 94%, it becomes highly flammable and can easily cause a fire.
The Prosecution argued that improper storage increased the risk of fire and could also have negative health effects on employees working at the factory because they might inhale ethanol vapours.
The Prosecution also explained that another reason why Ntihanabayo should be detained for 30 days pending trial is that investigations found that the factory improperly stored the materials used to give beverages their taste, aroma, and colour, commonly known as flavourings.
It stated that the flavourings used in alcoholic beverages produced by Ingufu Gin did not clearly indicate where they came from or their origin.
The investigation also found that the bottle caps used to seal the alcoholic beverages had allegedly exceeded their approved period of use, which could also pose health risks to consumers.
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Ntihanabayo Shifts Responsibility to Factory Staff
When given an opportunity to speak before the court, Ntihanabayo said that he was an investor and that his role was to establish different departments within the factory responsible for ensuring that production was properly carried out and that products met quality standards.
He argued that if mistakes were found, those responsible for the relevant duties should be held accountable because they were the ones with the authority to carry out those responsibilities.
The judge then asked him whether, as an investor and the owner of the company, the alleged failures of employees responsible for monitoring quality standards did not concern him.
The judge asked: “Does this mean that your company is separate from you as an individual?” The judge further told Ntihanabayo that the Prosecution alleged that he was also involved, even though he maintained that there were employees specifically responsible for monitoring the quality of products placed on the market by the factory.
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Defense Requests Bail Citing External Investments
Ntihanabayo responded by asking the court to allow him to be prosecuted while remaining free, arguing that he had no intention of interfering with or obstructing the investigation.
Ntihanabayo’s lawyer said he disagreed with the Prosecution’s claim that the bottle caps used to seal alcoholic beverages at the factory had exceeded their approved period of use.
He argued that, normally, liqueurs do not have an expiry date, and therefore it was inappropriate to claim that the bottle caps had expired.
The lawyer further argued that his client should be prosecuted while free because he had invested in other projects, including a school and the Biryogo market construction project, which could be delayed if he remained in detention.
