Rwanda National Police

Three people were arrested separately on Saturday in Rubavu District for allegedly attempting to offer bribes so as to allow them cross illegally to Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Germain Ngendahayo, 25, Joseph Nsengiyumva, 23, and Otieno Eric Obonyo were arrested separately attempting to cross to DRC through illegal border points.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that 

Ngendahayo, 25, was arrested at a porous border in Gisenyi Sector, Bugoyi Cell in Mataba Village.

"After his arrest, he tried to seduce security organs with a bribe of Rwf20, 000.

Nsengiyumva and Obonyo were intercepted at a porous border in Rubavu Sector, Buhaza Cell, Murambi Village. They unsuccessfully tried to give security organs a bribe of Rwf10, 000," CIP Karekezi said. 

It is said that they were going to DRC to smuggle fish into Rwanda.

The spokesperson reminded the public that such illegal border crossing can also result into spread of Coronavirus.

He warned against such unlawful acts and violating government directives put in place to prevent further spread of Coronavirus. 

According to article 4 of the Law on Fighting Against Corruption, any person who offers, solicits, accepts or receives, by any means, an illegal benefit for himself/herself or another person in order to render or omit a service under his or her mandate, commits an offense.

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of more than five years but not more than seven years, with a fine of three to five times the value of the illegal benefit solicited or received.

Also the article 44 of the law on Immigration and Emigration in Rwanda states the general provisions on offences of non-compliance with immigration and emigration laws and the punishments.