Police in Kigali is holding an upcoming local musician over impersonation and fraud. Frank Mugisha, who goes by the stage name VD Frank was arrested, while impersonating migration personnel and defrauding unwitting people promising to get them travel documents.

He was arrested on Thursday, September 21, at the immigration head offices in Kacyiru, while trying to con a person, who was seeking travel documents. He is currently being held at the Kacyiru Police Station, according to Superintendant Emmanuel Hitayezu, the central region police spokesperson.

At the moment, Mugisha also owns a photo studio and a MobiCash dealership in Kigali.

"We have been working with the police to track down such conmen, and that’s how Mugisha was arrested red-handed soliciting money from one of the people who was processing a passport,” explained Yves Butera, the Public Relations Officer at the Immigration and Migration directorate. Butera further revealed that the directorate has for long been receiving information about people who guise as its employees to defraud unsuspecting people.

"Service fees for travel documents are standard and known; no one should be charged extra, because that would be an act of fraud, which should be reported immediately to ensure that they are arrested,” Butera cautioned.

Meanwhile, Supt. Hitayezu described the suspect’s actions as "fraud and usurpation of duties, titles and uniform with intent to mislead the public” and is punishable under articles 318 and 616 of the penal code, respectively.

Obtaining the property of another person by fraud, under article 318 attracts an imprisonment of between three and five years and a fine between Rwf3 million and Rwf5 million.

The crime under article 616 is punishable with a prison sentence of up to three years.

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