Police has arrested two more suspects, among them, an official at Rwanda Revenue Authority, in connection with last week’s tax fraud case involving a consignment of imported rice.

The two suspects, who were paraded before press at Muhima Police Station in Nyarugenge District, Kigali, yesterday, are accused of aiding tax evasion.

They were identified as Telesphore Ntazinda and Jean Claude Mbarushimana, a customs official in Rubavu District.

The duo, together with the earlier suspect, Kigali businessman Celestin Bimenyimana, will be prosecuted after Police concludes its investigation, Police said.

Chief Superintendent of Police Celestin Twahirwa, the Police spokesperson, confirmed their investigation, which started on October 24, 2014, led to more arrests.

Drocelle Mukashyaka, the Deputy Commissioner  in Charge of Taxpayer Services at RRA, said Bimenyimana on October 27 was found selling rice that was supposedly destined for DR Congo.

"The rice, from Pakistani, entered the country under the category of transit goods, meaning it was just passing through Rwanda. But it ended up on the Rwandan market without being taxed after Bimenyimana connived with the real importer,” Mukashyaka said.

She said Mbarushimana, who was in charge of confirming whether or not trucks had crossed borders, gave false information indicating the cargo had crossed into DR Congo.

"Mbarushimana claimed that the cargo crossed the border, but facts proved otherwise,” Mukashyaka said.

Police said the machine that Mbarushimana was using indicated that trucks carrying rice had crossed the Rubavu border to DR Congo.

The arrest was a result of cooperation between whistle blowers and security organs, including revenue protection unit, Police said.

"Though the suspects claimed that the rice was taken to DR Congo, it was found in depots in Nyabugogo (in Kigali),” Twahirwa said, adding that all the falsified documents are in police custody and will be presented to court as evidence.

Bimenyimana was reluctant to talk about tax evasion allegations, saying he is ready to be charged in court.

Mbarushimana, however, denied any involvement in the fraud.

"I did my duty as required, I cleared those trucks and they entered DR Congo. Investigators should consider the departure and destination of those trucks to find out if they did not reach the destination,” he said.

RRA meanwhile clarified that the fraud involved about Rwf62 million tax evasion, not Rwf100 million as earlier reported.

It also said that 270 tonnes of rice were impounded, not 350 as reported earlier.

Mukashyaka said any RRA staff implicated in corruption or embezzlement is held accountable accordingly.

Upon conviction, a tax evader pays double the tax they were trying to evade in order to reclaim the goods or serve a term of imprisonment of between six months and two years.

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