This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
On May 1, 2019, a court in Kigali sentenced Charles Kinuthia to two years in prison and fined him Sh325,400 (Rwf3 million) for defrauding Rwandans.
Prosecutors accused Kinuthia and his co-accused of sending an email promising over 1,000 people $197 (Sh19,700) in free money for attending a wealth conference at Kigali Convention Centre.
However, when over 5,000 people arrived at the centre, they were asked to pay $5 (Sh500), $15 (Sh1,500), or $25 (Sh2,500) each, with some paying a total of Rwf4.1 million (Sh463,000) and $680 (Sh68,000).
During the pretrial hearing, prosecutors said that Kinuthia and his co-accused posed as motivational speakers, promising participants 'free money' but instead asking them to pay for access to an online course.
However, Kinuthia's lawyer, Evode Kayitare, claimed that the $197 was a 'value bonus' consisting of access to an online course.
Despite Kinuthia's claims of being a successful businessman, the court found him guilty of soliciting money from Rwandans and denied him a suspended penalty due to his lack of remorse.
