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Rwanda National Police

Service - Protection - Integrity

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Police warns against bribery

Three people were on Thursday arrested in Burera District after they tried to bribe a Police officer so as to release their goods, which had been seized over fraud.

Elysé Habishuti, 25, Celestin Nzirorera, 34, and Daniel Uzabakiriho, 30, were giving a bribe of Rwf100, 000 to the officer attached to Gahunga Police station.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson for the Northern region, said the smuggled goods were impounded to Gahunga Police station, recently, after the three men abandoned them in Rwasa Cell, Gahunga Sector and ran away.

"Police, while on patrol recently, impounded assorted goods including pesticides and super glue, which were abandoned by smugglers, who ran away," said CIP Rugigana.

"The smugglers (Habishuti, Nzirorera and Uzabakiriho) got to know that their goods were impounded at Gahunga Police station and they called the officer in charge requesting to meet over their seized goods."

The spokesperson said that the three men tried to negotiate the Police officer to change the report and indicate that the goods were instead bought in Musanze District but not smuggled.


"The Police officer informed his superiors about the developments and the promise, the three men were arrested red-handed giving the bribe of Rwf100, 000," said CIP Rugigana.

He warned against bribery calling it a "serious criminal offence."

“The public are advised to always go through the legal process when they are penalized. Taking criminal shortcuts, like giving bribes, is a serious offense which can't be tolerated."

According to article 4 of the Law on Fighting Against Corruption, any person who offers, solicits, accepts or receives, by any means, an illegal benefit for himself/herself or another person in order to render or omit a service under his or her mandate, commits an offense.  

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of more than five years but not more than seven years, with a fine of three to five times the value of the illegal benefit solicited or received.