English
Kinyarwanda
The Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, Chief Supt. Celestin Twahirwa has said that they have received various reports of individuals in varied public and private institutions that are characterized by unlawful and unprofessional behaviors, which at times leads to their arrest; an act he says tarnishes both the image of their respective organizations and profession.
His observations stems from ongoing investigations into a case involving a journalist, who is believed to have connived with a phone dealer in Nyarugenge District to con Rwanda National Police.
Valens Ndambendore alias Ndahiro Valens Pappy, a journalist with City Radio allegedly connived with one Samuel Karuranga, who owns a phone shop in the city centre and forged a receipt with intent to con Police.
Ndambendore had filed a case at Nyarugenge District Unit on October 8 claiming that on October 5, when the public were barred by officer from accessing the site where authorities were demolishing a residential house that was built illegally in a high risk zone in Kanyinya Sector of Nyarugenge, he lost his handset in an alleged scuffle.
According to Supt. Modeste Mbabazi, the central region judicial police officer, preliminary investigations into the alleged lost phone have since revealed that the journalist and Karuranga were “actually lying, which contravenes articles 539, 609 and 614 of the penal code.”
“When he filed a case, investigations immediately commenced. He was asked to provide a receipt and the shop where he bought the handset. In the course of investigations, after they realized that we were nearing the truth of the matter, Karuranga, who had earlier claimed that he sold him (Pappy) the phone, came forward and confessed having not sold any phone to Pappy and that they actually forged the receipt and used a serial number of an old phone that was no longer in use, to prove their case,” said Supt. Mbabazi, who doubles as the central region spokesperson.
The real old handset that owns the serial numbers indicated on the forge receipt has since been seized.
Both Pappy and Karuranga were arrested on October 10 and are currently detained at Remera and Nyarugenge police stations respectively.
“This is one of those unethical and illegal behaviours that undermine the credibility of specific professions and institutions, which can’t be entertained in Rwanda. We recognize the importance development of the media industry in Rwanda, which also plays a vital role as partners in community policing and public awareness; we urge practitioners to stick to their ethical standards and together continue to fight criminality in the country,” CSP Twahirwa said.
“People should report genuine cases with genuine reasons because whenever you try to hide behind or attempt to take advantage of another alleged incident to achieve your illegal goals, the truth of the matter will always come out and the law will catch up with you.”
Article 539 states that “Any person who contempt verbally, by gestures or threats, in writing or caricaturing a member of Parliament, a member of the Cabinet, security officers or any other person in charge of a public service, in the exercise or at the occasion of his/her mandate, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of one to two years and a fine of Rwf50, 000 to Rwf500, 000 or one of these penalties.
Under article 609, any person who forges or alters documents by forged signature or fingerprint, falsifying documents or signatures or impersonation, forging agreements, its provisions, obligations, discharged obligations shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five to seven years and a fine of Rwf300, 000 to Rwf3 million.
In article 614, counterfeit or use of a counterfeit document attracts a prison sentence of five to seven years and a fine of Rwf500, 000 to Rwf2 million.
