Rwanda National Police yesterday arrested Pascal Nshimiyimana a suspect in issuing fake invoices worth Rwf3 billion.

He was arrested near Gatuna border posts he was attempting to flee the country following reports that police was investigating his activities.

According to the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Taxpayer Services at Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), Drocella Mukashyaka, the suspect was arrested by the Police after RRA detected and reported suspicious companies that were applying for VAT refunds.

"Nshimiyimana runs a ghost construction company called DECOGES LTD. This company has no address, has never made a clean and authentic transaction but was issuing fake invoices,” said Mukashyaka.

The Commanding Officer of Revenue Protection Unit, CSP Jean-Nepo Mbonyumuvunyi, condemned such malpractices and warned that crimes like that carry heavy punitive measures.

"Just recently, we arrested some fraudsters who conducted exactly the same crime. This should serve as a warning to anyone out there who intends to cheat the country or destabilize the economy through illegal activities,” he said.

Last week, two accounting consultants in Kigali were arrested on similar allegations of manipulating Electronic Billing Machines (EBM) and trying to defraud the tax authority of more than Rwf384 million.

Article 369 of the penal code stipulates that, "If the taxpayer is guilty of deliberate tax evasion, such as false deliberate accounting entries, forgery and falsification of records or any other act punishable by law, he/she shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of six  months to two years and a fine equal to the evaded tax.”

In a related development, police is also holding Jules Ndacyayisenga who is suspected of masquerading as RRA agent to solicit bribes from businessmen. 

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