Rwanda National Police

Two people have been arrested in Kirehe District for allegedly aiding and harbouring drug traffickers.

The two suspects, who are members of community night patrol--Irondo--in Gatore Sector were arrested Saturday after it emerged that they were soliciting bribes from drug dealers so as to avoid being arrested.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Police spokesperson for the Eastern region, said that Damascene Mugenzi, 35, and Sylvain Nkundiye, 28, were apprehended while receiving a bribe of Rwf250, 000 from two drug dealers, who were attempting to bail their 10kgs of cannabis.

"The two Irondo personnel, while on duty that night, went after two drug dealers, who were hiding in the forest, leaving their fellow community night colleagues behind," CIP Twizeyimana said.

"Irondo personnel, who stayed behind called the Police, during the pursuit officers found Mugenzi and Nkundiye receiving a bribe of Rwf250, 000 from the two drug dealers. They were arrested alongside the two drug dealers, and the narcotics seized," he added.

He identified the two drug dealers as Alphonse Nzabikiramo, 31, and Emmanuel Nkurunziza, 36.

"Besides committing serious criminal acts of facilitating drug dealers and soliciting bribes, these Irondo personnel betrayed the people, who appointed them to spearhead community policing efforts," the spokesperson said.

He urged Irondo personnel to be professional and exemplary, and mirror the trust people have in them.

Clause 2 of article 2 of Law N° 54/2018 of 13/08/2018 on fighting against corruption, defines corruption as “any act performed or caused to be performed in public organs, private institutions, civil society and international organizations operating or wishing to operate in Rwanda, which is aimed at soliciting, receiving or offering an illicit benefit in order to unlawfully obtain illicit enrichment or give a favor to unlawfully render a service or carry out an activity whether carried on by himself or herself or through another person.”

Article 4 of the same article provides a term of imprisonment of between five and seven years, and three to five times the value of the offered bribe, upon conviction.

And also article 263 of the penal code states that, “Any person who, unlawfully produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances commits an offence.”

Upon conviction, he or she is liable to a term of imprisonment between seven years and life and a fine of up to Rwf30 million.