Over one hundred judicial Police officers and prosecutors from Gasabo and Nyarugenge judicial territories held a one-day meeting on Wednesday in Kigali to harmonise their criminal investigation activities and ensure fair justice.

They examined areas that should be addressed in the dossiers forwarded from Police to Prosecution.

ACP Elias Mwesigye, the Regional Police Commander, central, urged participants to harmonise their activities and leave no room for criminals to elude justice.

Gaspard Nyangezi Rudatinya, the chief prosecutor for Nyarugenge Intermediate Court ,gave an insight into the new law regulating the community mediators (Abunzi) which was enacted earlier in the year.

"The law regulating Abunzi is intended to strengthen their powers and improve the justice,” Rudatinya explained.

The new legislation gave mediators powers to deal with cases valued at up to Rwf5 million, up from the maximum Rwf3 million previously, deal with noise pollution, conning, and failure to pay for goods after consumption.

They can also deal with cases that were previously handled by Gacaca courts such as disputes related to property looted or destroyed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and those related to land and livestock disputes.

"The mandate of Prosecution and that of Police is interlinked and a mistake or failure in one institution affects the other,” Rudatinya said.

He urged participants to always work together on cases to exhaust all avenues that criminals can use to walk free.

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