Rwanda’s Nyarugenge Primary Court has ordered FERWAFA President and businessman Shema Fabrice to remain in provisional detention for 30 days as investigations continue into allegations of fraud and issuing unfunded cheques. The court issued the decision on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, following a hearing in which prosecutors argued that there were strong grounds to believe Shema may have committed the offences. Shema is facing allegations of issuing cheques without sufficient funds and obtaining another person’s property through fraudulent means . The court also considered the fact that the

Rwanda’s Nyarugenge Primary Court has ordered FERWAFA President and businessman

Shema Fabrice

to remain in provisional detention for 30 days as investigations continue into allegations of fraud and issuing unfunded cheques. The court issued the decision on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, following a hearing in which prosecutors argued that there were strong grounds to believe Shema may have committed the offences. Shema is facing allegations of

issuing cheques without sufficient funds and obtaining another person’s property through fraudulent means

. The court also considered the fact that the offences carry potential prison sentences of more than two years.

Dispute involves more than $1 million business deal

The case stems from a commercial agreement worth more than

€1 million

between Africa Medical Supplier Plc, a medical equipment company associated with Shema, and ABZL International General Trading LLC, a company based in the United Arab Emirates. The agreement was signed in January 2024 in connection with a World Bank-funded supply contract involving the delivery of medical equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to prosecutors, Africa Medical Supplier was required to settle its obligations to ABZL within 60 days but allegedly failed to do so, leading to repeated demands for payment. Prosecutors say Shema eventually issued two cheques to ABZL on August 5, 2025—one worth

$400,000

and another worth

$200,000

. The prosecution told the court that the cheques could not be honoured because there were insufficient funds in the company's account. Bank information presented to investigators reportedly showed that the account contained only about

$1,183

during the period in question.

Shema denies wrongdoing

Shema has rejected the allegations and told the court that the dispute should be viewed in the context of a longstanding business relationship rather than criminal conduct. He said Africa Medical Supplier and ABZL had been working together since 2017 and that previous agreements between the two companies had been successfully completed. According to Shema, his company had already paid ABZL

$400,000 in May 2024

and another

$400,000 in December 2024

. He argued that the second payment was not received because of problems with the bank account provided by ABZL. Shema further claimed that the agreement required ABZL to provide an alternative account if problems arose with the original account.

Dispute over the cheques

A major point of contention in the case is the alleged alteration of the cheques. Shema told the court that one of ABZL's shareholders—who later filed the complaint—took one of the cheques and added information directing payment to a US Bank account in the United States, along with a date. He questioned how a cheque originally intended for payment in the UAE could later be presented through a US bank. His lawyer,

Me Sangano Yves

, also challenged the prosecution's timeline, arguing that there were inconsistencies surrounding when the cheques were invalidated and when the alleged offence was committed. The defence maintained that the matter was fundamentally a commercial dispute and asked the court to release Shema while the investigation continues.

Court rejects provisional release

The court nevertheless ruled that Shema should remain in detention for 30 days. The judge noted that if Shema believed the cheques had been altered fraudulently, he should have reported the matter so that whoever was responsible could be investigated. The prosecution also maintained that the bank's records showed the account did not have enough money to cover the two cheques. Shema had offered to provide security, telling the court that he owns assets worth more than

Rwf5 billion

and would use them as a guarantee if granted provisional release. He also argued that his position as FERWAFA president and his standing as a businessman made it unlikely that he would flee. For now, however, the court has ordered him to remain in custody for 30 days as the investigation proceeds. The detention order is a provisional measure and does not amount to a final finding of guilt.

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