{{The Rwanda National Police Anti-Corruption Unit has apprehended five truck drivers for allegedly attempting to bribe Police officers.}}
The suspects had been intercepted along the Huye-Kigali highway over varied traffic-related offences when they tried to evade penalties through this illegal channel.
This operation by the anti-corruption is one of the stringent measures by the RNP’s zero tolerance stance to corruption.
The suspects, who confessed to the crime, advised their colleagues to avoid such illegal moves.
“I was stopped for overloading and I tried to bribe a police officer not to…and to let me go and that’s when they arrested me,” Jean Marie Vianney, one of the suspects narrated.
“After our arrest, we were explained on the ill-effects of corruption to the country’s economy and I advise drivers and other people to shun it and report those involved,” another suspect said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Damas Gatare warned of the severe consequences to anyone that will be caught in this illegal act.
“Some of the drivers were stopped for overloading, over speeding and others were transporting things like charcoal without any authorisation from authorities. So they tried to corrupt officers not to penalise them,” ACP Gatare said.
Some of the trucks were overloaded with charcoal, rice and timber.
Normally, to transport charcoal from one place to another, it has to be authorised by local leaders in an area.
This is in away to fight the illegal falling of trees and environmental degradation where some people are illegally involved in charcoal burning.
“Many people, including police officers, have been arrested in graft related offences and their files forwarded to prosecution. Such an operation is therefore one of the measures by the Rwanda National Police to fight the vice within the force and in the general public,” he added.
The Anti-corruption unit was established to keep the officers in the check and to enforce the force’s zero tolerance stance to graft within the force.
Other measures include the Ethics Centre to maintain professional standards, values and norms of officers, E-Policing such as online registration of driving licence tests.
“This is therefore a warning that in one way or another, those involved in such tendencies will be apprehended.
RNP
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