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Police and investigators in Ngoma District have arrested one Sylvestre Habumugisha for trying to influence the illegal release of a suspected wrongdoer with a bribe.
Habumugisha was arrested Sunday in Rurama Village, Buliba Cell of Rukira Sector while giving a bribe of Rwf100, 000 to law enforcement officers.
According to Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Police spokesperson for the Eastern region, the bribe was meant to influence the release of his father in-law, who was arrested recently over drug related crimes.
“Habumugisha was arrested red-handed in the bar, where he had called the law enforcers to meet and negotiate the release of his father in-law," CIP Twizeyimana said.
His father in-law was arrested recently for allegedly trafficking and selling kanyanga, a crude banned gin classified as a psychotropic substance.
"Corruption and bribery in particular, has diverse effects on individuals, service delivery, governance, justice and development of the country; it is classified as a high impact crime and given due attention," CIP Twizeyimana said.
“We call upon the public to avoid anything that would tempt them into either offering or receiving bribes and share information on those involved to ensure that they face the law," he advised.
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.
