Several individuals in Rwanda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) claim they have been defrauded of their investments by the Legacy Plus company through its agents, Bagire Eugene and Kalibutwa Lambert. These individuals were allegedly encouraged to invest in BitSec, a digital currency, but are now left without a way to recover their funds.
Elly, one of the victims, says he has lost more than six million Rwandan francs in the scheme.
“I personally invested over six thousand dollars, but I also know friends and family who were convinced to contribute more than ten thousand dollars,” Elly explains. He recounts how the money was transferred.
“We handed the money to someone called ‘Baze’ or sent it to the account he instructed us to use. At the time, I was in Kenya.”
Another victim, who prefers to remain anonymous, says he entrusted two thousand dollars to Legacy Plus, expecting returns.
“I invested two thousand dollars and initially received a profit of $1,630. But after that, they refused to pay me any further returns, which is how I ended up losing my money,” he says.
When asked why they haven’t pursued legal action against Legacy Plus or its representatives, the victims cite the lack of a formal contract or other evidence of their transactions.
“It’s difficult because we didn’t have any legal agreement. Most of the payments were made directly to Lambert Kalibutwa in cash or through informal channels,” the anonymous source explained.
WhatsApp group conversation between the victims and Legacy Plus staff, where victims are told to forget about their investments.
Another individual involved in promoting BitSec in the DRC says he now faces serious difficulties.
“I was in Goma, helping to raise awareness about BitSec among the locals. But now the Congolese investors are harassing me, demanding refunds. They’ve even confiscated my phone. I’m in trouble because I don’t know how to resolve this,” he adds.
Both Bagire Eugene and Kalibutwa Lambert have denied any wrongdoing, stating that they did not personally receive the money and that efforts are being made to address the issues with the affected investors.
Aimable Nkuranga, the CEO of Legacy Plus, and Muzuzi Gervais, the chairman of the board, maintain that the company itself is not involved in the disputes.
“Legacy Plus LTD is a consulting firm focused on investment opportunities. If anyone was encouraged to invest, it was by third-party individuals acting independently,” Nkuranga explained. He did, however, confirm that Legacy Plus has hosted major international conferences promoting BitSec technology.
Reports from Kenya suggest that several Rwandan nationals have lodged complaints with the Rwandan Embassy in Nairobi, claiming they were defrauded by Legacy Plus or its staff.
Rwanda’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has stated that there is currently no specific law governing such activities in Rwanda, but information regarding the case has been shared with the Central Bank of Rwanda (BNR), which is responsible for monetary policy. The BNR, however, has not provided any official response, noting that it is still studying the use of cryptocurrency technology in the country
