Two Gacaca officials cited in corruption allegations

KARONGI- Two Gacaca officials in Karongi District have been accused of soliciting for a bribe in order to exonerate a Genocide suspect.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

KARONGI- Two Gacaca officials in Karongi District have been accused of soliciting for a bribe in order to exonerate a Genocide suspect.

Alphonse Ruzindana the president of Gacaca in the district and Ephraim Niyonsanga one of his panel members allegedly asked Jean Pierre Murindwa to part with Rwf200, 000 in order for his case to be dropped.

Murindwa was cited in Genocide crimes by three convicts who are in custody since 1995.

According to a letter written to court, by the trio, Murindwa was part of the group that massacred innocent victims in different parts of Karongi.

"He (Niyonsanga) called me at 9 pm asking me to visit his home  the following  morning saying that I had questions to answer to. It is then that he solicited for the bribe,” Murindwa claims.

He says that he immediately accepted the proposal to hoodwink the two officials with the intention of alerting the Police, but he failed to part with the bribe after the duo later increased the amount they sought to Rwf300,000.

By press time, efforts to get Ruzindana and Niyonsanga for a comment  were futile as both could not answer their cell phones.

Sources revealed that the incidence had been reported to the police and so far no arrests have been made.

Ends