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Kinyarwanda
Police in Gakenke District has recovered Rwf3.5 million, which is part of the money stolen from a petrol station in Nyagasambu, Rwamagana District, recently.
The money was recovered on Saturday from the prime suspect identified as Pacifique Iradukunda, who was a pump attendant on duty in the night of October 24, when the Rwf4.5 million was reportedly stolen from the safe.
Iradukunda has been in hide-out since the night of theft, until he was located and arrested in Ruli Sector of Gakenke District on October 26, Police said.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson for the Northern region, said that law enforcement agencies, with the help of a telecom company, tracked Iradukunda's phone in a lodge in Gakenke, where he was staying.
It is said that in the night of theft, the suspect told his co-worker to go home and that he would fill the void, which was apparently part of the hatchet plan.
Since Iradukunda had the key to the safe where he would also keep the money made that night, it is suspected that he instead opened and took all the money that was in the safe.
CIP Rugigana said that the petrol station management got to know about the theft the following morning, before they filed the case.
"Law enforcement agencies worked with a telecom firm to track his line, he was found with only Rwf3.5 million at the time of his arrest," CIP Rugigana said.
He has since been handed over to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).
Iradukunda, after his arrest, claimed that he doesn't know the amount of money he took from the safe.
"I just picked all the money I found in the safe, I didn't count how much it was," argued Iradukunda.
Article 166 of the law determining offences and penalties in general in Rwanda states that anyone convicted of theft faces an imprisonment of between one and two years, a fine of between Rwf1 million and Rwf2 million, and a community service of up to six months or one of these penalties.
