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Kinyarwanda
Rwanda National Police (RNP) has arrested three men, who were posing as one of their own and defrauding unwitting members of the public seeking road traffic related services.
Augustin Byimana, Theogene Rukundo, and Noel Munyarugendo were paraded to the media at Remera metropolitan on Saturday.
Byimana, who was guising as ‘Inspector of Police’ was dismissed from Police service in 2012 while Rukundo, who was posing as “secretary” in the department of Traffic and Road Safety, was dismissed in 2018; both left service at the rank of corporal, while Munyarugendo was demobilized in 2006.
The trio is suspected to have conned three known victims of combined Rwf1, 050, 000.
One of the victims identified as Jean Claude Ndahimana, said he was first approached by Byimana saying that he is a Police officers attached to the department of Traffic and Road Safety.
“Byimana told me that there is a promotion for driver’s license meant for foreigners, and wanted me to look for at least other six people to benefit from the service,” Ndahimana said.
All the victims are Rwandans.
Ndahimana first paid Rwf60, 000 before the suspects tricked him to pay them more Rwf310, 000. Two other victims paid Rwf370, 000 and Rwf310, 000.
After months of empty promises to get their driver’s license, the victims decided to inform the Police.
RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera warned against “taking criminal shortcuts” to acquire “simple and available Police services” where they end up falling victims of fraudsters.
He wondered how one would be tricked to believe that there is a promotion for driver’s license and end up paying more than six-times the legal value which is Rwf50, 000 for a definitive driver’s permit.
CP Kabera further appealed to the public to follow the simplified Police procedures to acquire a driver’s license and report people, who approach them saying that they can help them acquire one.
“The whole process of acquiring a driver’s license from registering for provisional test to picking your definitive, is done individually… no brokers. Whoever solicits money to help you in that service is breaking the law and the same goes to anyone, who agrees to pay the money,” CP Kabera said.
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He added: “We have been arresting and parading people involved in these criminal tendencies of impersonation and fraud. We urge the public to take note, avoid shortcuts and follow legal procedures to acquire a service not to fall prey.”
Article 174 of the penal code states: “Any person who, by deception, obtains another person’s property, whole or part of his/her finance by use of false names or qualifications, or who offers positive promises or who threatens of future misfortunes, commits an offense.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years and not more than three years, and a fine of not less than Rwf3 million and not more than Rwf5 million.”
