Rwanda National Police (RNP), yesterday, paraded three people, including two housemaids suspected to have stolen about Rwf10 million from their employer.
The house-help identified as Solange Nikuze and Sarafine Twizerimana allegedly stole US$11, 400 and Rwf560, 000 after breaking into their employer’s bedroom on December 11.
They were arrested in Kicukiro on December 14, where all the money was also recovered from the suspects and returned to the rightful owner identified as David Isanga.
While narrating on how they hatched the plan to steal the money, Nikuze said: “We planned it and we made a copy of the key of his bedroom, we waited for the day when he wasn’t home, we opened his room and stole the money.”
Her accomplice, Twizerimana told journalists that after stealing the money, they panicked “because it was too much and in the process, we were arrested.”
Reacting to the incident, the Central region Police Spokesperson, Supt. Emmanuel Hitayezu said: “On December 11, Isanga filed a theft case upon realising that his money was missing.”
“We immediately started investigations which led us to the two ladies. We found them with all the money and we returned to the rightful owner,” he added.
He, however, went on to advise the public against keeping large sums of money at home to prevent temptations and ensure safety of their finances.
Upon receiving his money, Isanga expressed his gratitude toward RNP for the quick response and recovering his money.
“I am overwhelmed by the professionalism and commitment RNP officers showed throughout the process. They worked day and night and explored all possible avenues to ensure that they get to the real suspects and recover my money.”
Explaining why he was keeping large sums of money at home, Isanga said: “I was supposed to pay off someone but he told me he was an Adventist and couldn’t take cash on a Saturday, that’s how I ended up keeping the money home.”
“However, this is a lesson that everyone should learn from. It also signifies the importance of reporting to police as soon as you encounter such a challenges because it also helps them to act in real time to intercept suspects and recover what was stolen,” Isanga added.
In a related development, police also paraded Ibrahim Kubwimana, who was arrested in connection with forgery and counterfeiting official documents including land titles, tender documents, Identification cards and stamps, among others.
At the time of his arrest on December 14, Kubwimana was found in possession of 22 fake stamps, forged land titles, academic transcripts as well as a forged National IDs.
It is alleged that he was forging and selling tender documents to those who were applying for bank loans.
“We received information about a habitual forger and trailed him up to his workplace in the city centre in Kigali, where we caught him red-handed forging a national ID and a police service card,” Supt. Hitayezu said.
He was apparently selling them at Rwf160,000 each.
He warned the public against falsifying legal documents and instruments.
“Investigations are still going on to find out if there are other forgeries or accomplices. Even those that hold such fake documents will be prosecuted,” he warned.
Under article 609 of the penal code, “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.”
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