Prof. Emile Bienvenu was among those presented by RIB on August 13, 2026. All 18 are public servants, including 10 employees of Rwanda FDA.

Others include employees of the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), as well as executive secretaries of cells and sectors.

RIB spokesperson Dr. Murangira B. Thierry said that since July 20, 2026, a total of 104 people have been arrested in connection with offences related to the production of substandard alcoholic beverages.

Of those arrested, 97 have had case files prepared and submitted to the prosecution.

Dr. Murangira said preliminary investigations had found that some documents had been issued without being based on the decisions of the Internal Technical Licensing Committee.

“The preliminary investigation established that he had issued some documents without relying on the decisions of the Internal Technical Licensing Committee. We clearly established that the committee’s decision is what he was supposed to rely on,” he said.

The arrests come after more than 150 factories producing substandard alcoholic beverages were shut down across Rwanda.

More details to follow…