KIGALI - A Police escort attached to Health minister Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo was on Wednesday involved in a scuffle with a private security guard which ended with the former pulling out his pistol.

According to the KK guard, Innocent Nyirishema, Ntawukuliryayo’s escort, Police constable Epaphrodite Muhanuka, reportedly drew a gun and accused him of attempting to knock down the minister during the latter’s morning sports exercise.

Ntawukuliryayo was jogging along Kimihurura road when Nyirishema and other KK guards allegedly nearly drove over him, a move that sparked off the row.

"The Minister’s escort slapped me twice and put me on gunpoint in front of his boss,” said Nyirishema on Thursday when he came to The New Times to tell of his ordeal.

"He accused me of intending to knock his boss but this is a total lie,” the angry Nyirishema said. He also claimed that the minister himself joined the scuffle.

Ntawukuliryayo confirmed the incident, but dismissed the allegations saying he himself never got involved in it.

"I was jogging in the morning when a KK vehicle was almost about to knock my escort and I,” Ntawukuliryayo said yesterday. "I thought it was a smaller incident but if these people continue lying, I have to seek court action,” threatened the minister.

When asked whether the escort drew his pistol, Ntawukuliryayo admitted it and said he did so because the guards were aggressive.

"I never touched anybody but my escort approached them,” added the minister.
The Police spokesman also confirmed the incident and confirmed police had questioned Muhanuka over the issue.

"We summoned the escort and came to the conclusion that he had no intention of shooting the guards. He was doing his work, we instead put blame on the KK guards who wanted to knock a minister,” Inspector of Police Marcel Higiro said yesterday.

Ends