Rwanda National Police

Police in Gicumbi District is holding one Emmanuel Habumugisha, 28, for allegedly vandalizing public infrastructures and derailing community development.

Habumugisha was arrested on December 17 in Byumba Sector with over 300 kilogrammes of electric cables, either cut from various connected homes causing power outage or stolen from stores of companies conducting the rural electrification programme.

Inspector of Police (IP) Laurent Harerimana, the commander of Byumba Police station, said that they received information that vehicles were seen at Habumugisha’s house loading electric cables, and they became suspicious.

“We had earlier received a theft complaint from one of the companies in rural electrification programme about stolen cables from their stores; when we received the information, we connected the two and indeed some of the cables we recovered are those reportedly stolen,” IP Harerimana said.

Under article 406 of the penal code, 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 two to five years and a fine of twice to ten times the value of the damaged property.

Theft without violence or threat, under article 300, is punishable with an imprisonment of six months to two years and a fine of two to five times the value of the stolen property or one of these penalties.

IP Harerimana commended the existing partnership with the residents in fighting and preventing crimes through information sharing.