Rwanda National Police

Three people belonging to the same ring have been arrested in City of Kigali for allegedly conniving to forge assorted documents, including passports, residence permits and driver's license.

The racket was paraded to the media on Saturday, October 16, at the Police metropolitan Police headquarters in Remera, Gasabo District.

They are identified as Philip Nyandwi, Yvan Gusengimana and Ally Ruzavaho.

Nyandwi, the head of the group, was guising as police officer. He is a former police offier, who was dismissed from the force.

Police also recovered from the racket, a scanner, laptop and deskop computer, external hard disks, and other products, which they were using to forge the documents.

Yvan Gusengimana, a driving instructor, said that he was recruited by Nyandwi.

"Nyandwi came to me asking if I can get him students, who need to be facilitated to get a driver's license. I connected some of my students to him but I thought that the permit would be real," said Gusengimana.

According to investigations, Gusengimana was acting as a Nyandwi's broker and collecting about Frw300, 000 from each candidate for the driver's license.

Ruzavaho, on the other hand, was responsible for forging the documents.

Ruzavaho named one Justin Muhamiriza, still at large, who was also facilitating in forging the documents with Gusengimana charged with looking for people in need of their services and bringing their photos to falsefy the documents for them.

RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera said that the successful operations followed information from the public.

"Police acted swifly to locate and arrest some members of the ring. This should send a stern warning to anyone still involved in these criminal acts," CP Kabera said.

He advised the public to follow due process to acquire legal documents instead of taking criminal shortcuts and spending years in prison.

 "Learn from such experiences of those arrested and do the right thing."

The suspects were handed over to RIB for further legal process while the search for other members of the racket is still underway.

Article 276 of the law determining offences and penalties in general states that, any person who, in any manner, forges or alters documents by forged signature or fingerprint, falsifying documents or signatures or impersonation, forging agreements, its provisions, obligations, or discharged obligations, commits an offence.  

Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five (5) years but not more than seven (7) years and a fine of not less than Frw3 million and not more than Frw5 million or only one of these penalties.

In article 174; 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 offence.  
 
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than two (2) years and not more than three (3) years, and a fine of not less than Frw3 million and not more than Frw5 million.

In article 279, of the same law states that any person who without tittle usurps public, civil or military functions or poses the acts of one these functions or falsely attributes to himself/herself the quality of a public official commits an offence.

Upon conviction, the offender faces between two and three years in prison, and a fine of not more than Frw300,000 but not more than Frw500, 000.