Rwanda National Police

A man in Kigali has been arrested over allegations of forging stamps of various public and private institutions including that of the National Bank of Rwanda, schools and hotels.

Eriab Niringiyimana, a second year student of Integrated Polytechnic Regional Center (IPRC) Kicukiro campus was arrested on October 2 in Nyabugogo in Nyarugenge district while selling the forged stamps.

At the time of his arrest, the suspect was as found in possession of forged stamp including that of Shyirinyota bar, DOT Rwanda, AFURIKA electro-mechanism company limited and those of public transport companies, churches and shops.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Modeste Mbabazi, the Central Region Police Spokesperson said that Niringiyimana was arrested along the bookstores in Nyabugogo.

“We have been getting information of people who forge stamps of different institutions, so we carried out investigations which led to the arrest of Niringiyimana,” Mbabazi said.

SP Mbabazi, however, advised private and public entities to go through right channels when acquiring stamps.

“When an Institution, company or association wants a stamp, you write a letter to a company authorized to make them; there are specialized and authorized printery to make such stamps,” he said.

Article 606 partly states that anyone who counterfeits the seal, postal stamp or emblem of any authority shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five to seven years and a fine of Rwf300, 000 to Rwf3 million. However, if counterfeit or falsified objects belong to an individual, or private legal entities, the penalty shall be a term of imprisonment of two to five years.