English
Kinyarwanda
Police in Musanze district has arrested two men, Jean Paul Manirarora and Jean Paul Bizimana, for allegedly stealing two circuit breakers from an electric pole.
The duo, who are currently held at Muhoza Police station had confess to the crime but claims that they were hired although they refused to reveal the identity of the person the allege to have hired them.
A circuit breaker which the two men had disconnected from an electric pole is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and interrupt current flow.
The arrest of the suspects was a result of a tip off from residents. Northern Province Police Spokesperson, Inspector of Police Elevis Munyaneza, condemned the criminal act, calling residents to join campaigns to fight and prevent such offenses which he said undermine development and thus affecting welfare of the people.
He urged residents to embrace the culture of partnering with security organs through community policing approach to ensure crimes particularly those affecting development are effectively prevented.
The two suspects had disguised themselves as employees of Rwanda Energy Group/Energy Utility Corporation Limited (REG/EUCL) as they attempted to steal circuit breakers.
However, one resident saw the two men climbing an electric pole and got suspicious of the men and consulted REG/EUCL if they are their employees and if REG/EUCL was conducting some reparations or operations in the area.
This resulted to REG/EUCL officials reporting the suspected robbery to the police that rushed to the site and arrested the two men.
According to REG/EUCL Musanze Branch Supervisor, Marcel Nzamurambaho, “They climbed an electric pole wearing the former EWASA uniforms to disconnect the circuit breakers but were surprised by a sudden Police intervention,” he narrated.
He added that a circuit breaker costs Rwf 300,000 on the local market.
Nzamurambaho also urged the public to be aware of imposters as a way of stealing REG/EUCL’s electric equipments.
“These electric equipments and many others are meant to serve the needs of the people with an end result of bring about development,” said Nzamurambaho.
The suspects are accused of destroying infrastructures and impersonation. If they are found guilty, they risk facing fines and sentence punished under article 616 and 406 of the penal code.
Article 616 stipulates that any person without capacity who usurp public, civil or military duties, performs duties of one of these services or falsely acquires the powers of a public officer or publicly wears a costume, gown, uniform or an emblem with intent to mislead the public, shall be liable to imprisonment of 1 year to 3 years and a fine of Rwf 50.000 to Rwf 500,000.
While article 406 stipulates that, any person who willfully destroys or damages in any way, in all or a part, buildings, bridges, dams, water pipes, water pipe routes, roads, railways or any other means of communication or electric power infrastructure, wells or any other buildings which do not belong to him/her, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of 2 years to 5 years and a fine of twice 2 to 10 times the value of the damaged property.
