KICUKIRO - Police have arrested a judge of the primary court of Kanombe, Kicukiro District for allegedly soliciting for a bribe in a case she was presiding over. 

Lilliane Maombi, who is currently detained at Kicukiro Police station, was arrested in Nyarugunga, in Kicukiro District after she was caught red-handed receiving a bribe of Rwf 100,000 from Francoise Nyirabihogo.
 
Nyirabihogo had a pending case before the same court, where she is facing charges related to the battering of her house help. She told The New Times, yesterday, that Judge Maombi had requested for Rwf 200,000 to dismiss the charges.

According to Nyirabihogo, the judge pestered her with phone calls and in the end, she decided to switch off her phone and go to Burundi.

"When I came back she continued pressuring me to look for the money so that she could ‘work’ on my case, and I notified the police because I thought she was up to something else,” Nyirabihogo said.

The Spokesperson of the Judiciary, Charles Kaliwabo, said that Maombi will automatically lose her job if she is found guilty.

"This is a great step by the public to wake up and fight for their rights by reporting such people to concerned authorities,” Kaliwabo said.

"This does not mean that corruption is on the rise in the country…it’s only that measures to make Rwanda a corrupt-free country have increased with the public now on board,” noted Kaliwabo.

About seven judiciary employees have been sacked over corruption in the last two years.
Early this month, two judges attached to Nyarugenge Primary Court were relieved of their duties after they were accused of graft.

A court in Muhanga District, recently handed a five-year sentence to Evariste Kubwimana, a former judge of Cyiyimba Primary Court, after he was found guilty of receiving a bribe of Rwf 30,000.

Police Spokesperson Supt. Theos Badege, advised against the taking bribes saying they would deal with such cases accordingly.

"This should serve as a warning to people who intend to use their positions to solicit for bribes,” Badege said.

"Police is determined to apprehend anybody involved in this vice irrespective of what they are or the position they hold.”

Ends