The spokesperson of Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Thierry B Murangira, has confirmed that they received a complaint on July 19, from Mike Karangwa, a local journalist, accusing one Irene Murindahabi, the CEO of Murindahabi Irene Entertainment (MIE) of spreading harmful rumors on social media, and said that the case is under investigation.
Murangira told The New Times that spreading rumors is not acceptable and in this digital era, technologies allow netizens to spread false rumors and defamatory expressions. The spread of false information has increased and caused severe harm.
He cautioned social media users to not serious everything the consume on different platforms, because in some cases they may be slanderous and motivated by vengence, relieving boredom and seeking attention mostly in the intertainment industry. He warned that for whoever peddles such information, they should take note that it is punishable by law.
The law number 60/2018 on prevention and punishment of cyber-crimes in its Article 39, states that any one convicted for publication of rumors is punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than five years, and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf3 million.
This case comes after a saga on July 8, where Murindahabi parted ways, with young gospel music duo Vestine and Dorcas and one day later, the duo’s mother sharing an open letter calling out Murindahabi for fraudulently taking advantage of her daughers’ talent.
Two days later through official social media platforms for MIE, Murindahabi announced his re-union with the duo, blaming Karangwa, among other people for conspiring to tarnish his name, which linked to his stand off with the musical duo.
However, in a twist of events, Karangwa last week, while appearing on MK Tv Rwanda, a YouTube channel associated with him, lamented that he ended up getting mired into the disagreement between the musicians and their manager yet he was only trying to help mediate them.
He said that things got worse after Murindahabi’s Instagram post accused him and "other conspirators” of being behind the separation of the duo and MIE.