25 investigators from Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) yesterday completed a five-day course aimed at equipping them with modern skills in interview and interrogation techniques.
The training was held at the National Police College (NPC) in Musanze District with trainers and facilitators from the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
Speaking at the event, the NPC deputy Commandant, Commissioner of Police Faustin Ntirushwa, said the course was important given that the contemporary operational environment for law enforcement agencies was becoming increasingly challenging.
According to Kodie Ruzcka, one of the trainers from FBI legal office in Nairobi, some of the lessons that were given to local investigators included starting an interrogation, interviewing techniques, the use of evidence and open-ended questions during interrogation, among other topics.
"This week has been a great opportunity for us to strengthen the professional bond between the FBI and RIB and also relationships between the United States and Rwanda,” she said.
"We have been providing a course on interview skills and how to provide what we call report-based techniques for providing interviews of individuals as whether they would be witnesses or subject of an investigation or victims of crime”.
RIB Secretary-General, Col. Jeannot Ruhunga, said the country decided to invite the FBI as the trainer so as to learn from the bureau’s experience given that it was a renowned law enforcement agency.
"It is not about the gap (in the RIB), you have to benchmark with other law enforcement agencies and as you know the FBI is a renowned law enforcement agency worldwide, so getting their experience, their skills is a good thing,” he told The New Times.
"We are working with other agencies as well but FBI, as you know, is well experienced, it has been there for so many years; it is good that we get the experiences and we benchmark with what they do,” added Ruhunga.
He said RIB attaches great importance to the offered course and efforts manifested by the FBI by sending and supporting trainers from the US and Nairobi to come and share their experience with RIB investigators.
"Since the establishment of Rwanda Investigation Bureau a year ago, this is the third course that the FBI has offered and this followed a visit by the US Ambassador, Peter Vrooman to RIB headquarters where he pledged US government support in capacity building,” noted Ruhunga.
The RIB Secretary-General said he was confident that close cooperation between the FBI and RIB will impact on the quality of investigations and justice delivery.
"It is my hope that participants shall assume the noble investigative responsibility more efficiently by upholding the rule of law and human rights towards a crime-free nation,” he said, urging trained investigators to put skills and knowledge acquired in practice in order to improve the quality of case files they handle.
The FBI regional security officer, Tony Pate Buford appreciated the cooperation between the US Government and RIB and promised a continuous collaboration.
"Those connections between our government and local law enforcement agencies is a huge asset and it is something that we can continue here,” he said.
Investigators speak out
Daniel Nsabimana, one of the investigators who undertook the course, said it was important since it equipped them with the required knowledge and skills to deal with contemporary security threats.
"We will keep working towards providing fair justice by striving to make RIB proud through delivering equal and fair justice to Rwandans,” he noted.
editor@newtimesrwanda.com