NYARUGENGE - The Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education who was arrested two weeks ago for bribery escaped from police custody Tuesday night, top officials in the Rwanda National Police confirmed yesterday.

Justin Nsengiyumva was arrested and detained for allegedly demanding a bribe from local businessman Moses Byaruhanga who had won a tender worth over Rwf 70 million, to supply computers to the ministry.

Both the acting Commissioner General of Police, Mary Gahonzire and Police Spokesperson, Inspector Willy Marcel Higiro, confirmed his escape.

"It is true that Nsengiyumva escaped. There were mistakes committed and he was not supposed to be in our hands when he escaped,” Commissioner Gahonzire said, condemning the police agents who did not take the suspect to prison following a court ruling.

She said that the police at Nyamirambo Police station who were involved in Nsengiyumva’s escape were immediately jailed and that there were efforts to recapture him.

"I am very confident that he will be rearrested. He should actually hand himself in to the police if he is nearby,” she said.

Inspector Higiro said that most of the police agents who were jailed over Nsengiyumva’s escape had also been involved in his investigations.

"They need to be held responsible…police are still carrying out investigations,” he said, declining to disclose the number of those who were detained.

Prosecution Spokesperson, Augustin Nkusi, yesterday revealed that the accused was to be temporarily detained at Kigali Central Prison following a decision by the Nyarugenge High Court of Instance.

Before his appointment as PS on March 12, 2008, Nsengiyumva had served in the same position in the Ministry of Commerce where he was the senior technical officer in charge of coordinating all administrative and technical activities.

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