The bail appeal of Rwanda National Football Federation (FERWAFA) president Ngoga Shema Fabrice has been postponed to September 23, after his lawyer asked for more time to negotiate with prosecutors.
Shema is challenging a court order that placed him in 30-day provisional detention.
His appeal was due to be heard on Wednesday. Instead, his lawyer told the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court that the defence and prosecution were holding talks toward a deal. Prosecutors confirmed talks were underway but gave no details of what it covered.
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The nature of the agreement was not disclosed in court. It was not immediately clear whether it relates to the disputed payment at the centre of the case, to Shema’s detention, or to the wider criminal proceedings.
Shema is accused, according to a charge sheet, over two cheques issued by his company, Africa Medical Supplier, in a payment dispute with a firm called ABZL. He denies the allegations.
Prosecutors say the two firms had signed agreements worth around €1.9 million. When the payment dispute arose, two cheques were issued. Investigators later found the bank account they were drawn from held just over $1,000.
Shema’s lawyer told the court a different account. He said Shema’s company paid ABZL $400,000 in May 2024 and tried to send a further $400,000 in December 2024. The second payment failed, he said, because of a problem with ABZL’s own bank account, and Shema issued an undated cheque while the two sides looked for another way to complete the payment.
ABZ has not made any comment.
Who is Shema
Shema was elected FERWAFA president unopposed in August 2025, winning 51 of 53 votes to succeed Alphonse Munyantwali for a four-year term. He had led local club AS Kigali since 2019, winning multiple trophies including the Peace Cup, and is also chief executive of Africa Medical Supplier.
The court will hear Shema’s bail appeal on September 23. Until then, he remains in provisional detention. The underlying criminal case, over the disputed cheques, has not been resolved.
What the law says
Under Article 126 of Rwanda’s 2021 law on negotiable instruments, knowingly issuing a cheque without sufficient funds is an offence. A conviction carries a prison term of two to five years and a fine of five to ten times the value of the cheque.
The law requires prosecutors to show the cheque was issued knowingly, not simply that it bounced.
