Editor,

I would like to express my gratitude to The New Times for the article, "Are our laws too weak to stop the flourishing illicit liquor businesses?” (June 16), which had tangible information from the relevant sources.

I would however register my disagreements with whoever says that the laws on this matter are weak or lenient—if there's an imprisonment of up to three years and a fine up of to five million Rwandan Francs but which are not enforced, then one should not complain of a ‘weak law’.

Remember that the in-charge of security from the said village is amused by the arrests of suspects/culprits who get released in a matter of days. In light of this, the issue is not the lenience of the legislation in question.

My argument here is that if the prescribed penalties are effected accordingly or appropriately, then no one would be complaining of such releases and thus the producers and traders would be scared.

Nonetheless, I agree with the police on the need for more sensitisation.

Robert Ssali, Rwanda