WESTERN PROVINCE

KARONGI- A Court Registrar at Karongi Court of Higher Instance in the Western Province has been arrested for allegedly taking a bribe. 
Margaret Mukarugina who had been working at the court for the last nine years, was arrested redhanded by police officials last Friday,while receiving Rwf50,000 at her home in Rubengera Sector.

The person who had offered the bribe could not be named by either police or the prosecution. Mukarugina is being detained at Bwishyura police station as investigations into her case continue.

Police sources said that in a statement made by the accused, she admitted having taken the bribe and asked for leniency.

Mukarugina reportedly took the bribe to help raise fees for her kids whom she claims in the statement, had failed to go back to school.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, Mukarugina in an interview at the court in Bwishyura Sector, denied the accusations saying that the police had coerced her into writing the earlier statement.

She explained that she had an appointment with a person whom she would help to get a lawyer. This person whom Mukarugina declined to name was supposed to first pay Rwf50,000 advance for a lawyer who would help him in a court case.

 "He wanted to give the lawyer an advance of Rwf50, 000. He just gave me the money to take it on his behalf to the lawyer. It was not corruption but assistance,” she said.

"The Court should review my case because I don’t even remember what I said when the police raided my house. I was very scared,” she said.

The police source maintained that investigations sufficiently attested to her culpability but hastened to add that this will be proven by the courts of law.

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