Police in Rwamagana District is holding two men accused of impersonating police officers and defrauding several traders by threats.
Jean Claude Nkundwanabose and Elise Uwukunda were apprehended on January 24 in Rwamagana town after area residents informed police.
Area residents told Police that four men dressed casually, who were traveling in a vehicle registration number RAA343U, at about 6pm they entered one of the shops in Rwamagana and introduced to a shop attendant, a woman, as police officers.
“One of them said that he was the judicial officer for Rwamagana District. They threatened to arrest my wife, who was in the shop accusing her of selling Kanyanga (illicit gin) if she doesn’t offer them a bribe,” Laurent Gahiza, one of the victims, said.
“My wife gave them Rwf5, 000, which they declined saying that it’s little. She called me from the backyard and when I reached there they also threatened to handcuff me accusing us of selling kanyanga, and out of continued threats, I offered them Rwf50, 000, they put me in their car to the bank where I withdrew the money and gave it to them,” Gahiza narrated.
According to the Eastern region spokesperson, Inspector of Police (IP) Emmanuel Kayigi, after a suspicious resident called Police, a road-block was mounted along Rwamagana-Kigali highway and they were intercepted in Ntunga.
“When they saw a Police checkpoint, they abandoned the vehicle and attempted to runaway, but they were pursued and two of them were arrested, and search for others continues,” IP Kayigi said.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the ring defrauded four shops in Rwamagana that day. In another shop, they are said to have defrauded the owner of Rwf150, 000, under similar tricks.
“We were able to arrest these suspects because of the vital part the residents played, and through this partnership and timely information sharing, it is clear that crimes can be combated and criminals can’t get away with it,” IP Kayigi emphasised.
Under article 318 of the Rwandan penal code, any person who, intentionally obtains a property belonging to another person fraudulently or by using false names or qualities, to give rise to hope or fear of harm and obtains a part or whole of a fortune shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of Rwf3 million to Rwf5 million.
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