English
Kinyarwanda
A man in Nyagatare was immediately arrested when he attempted to bribe a police officer with Rwf4,500, after he had been found with an illicit brew commonly known as Kanyanga.
Incidents such as these have trickled down in the recent past due to continued sensitizations conducting by Rwanda National Police; however, a few individuals have adamantly refused to take heed.
The 29-year old man identified as Faustin Nzabonimana is currently held at Nyagatare Police Station and is due to appear before the courts of law for prosecution.
The Police Spokesman for Eastern Province, Inspector of Police, Emmanuel Kayigi, commended the officer for acting professionally by turning down the bribe and instead doing his work in respect to his uniform.
“Bribing Police officers is an ill advised attempt because it only attracts more charges on top of what an individual was being charged for. Such shortcuts must be avoided because RNP officers know the value of professionalism,” he said.
“Rwanda is renowned for its exemplary fight against corruption and therefore, it is everyone’s responsibility to contribute to this fight that has enabled the country to be very prosperous.”
If proven guilty Nzabonimana is liable to face a prison sentence between 5 to 7 years and a fine multiplied by 10 times of the amount paid according to article 641 of the Rwandan Penal Code.
In December last year, Police in Kigali arrested 7 drivers, for attempting to offer cash bribes to traffic officers, while early this month, two drivers were arrested on the same charges.
Between October and December last year, at least 74 civilians, the majority of whom were drivers, were arrested trying to bribe their way out of various offences.
