KIGALI - The proprietor of Kigali-based OKAPI Hotel, Jean Marie Vianney Rumanyika, has been arrested for allegedly forging hotel receipts and evading taxes.

Rumanyika was arrested Monday together with the hotel accountant, Theoneste Mwunguzi.

The duo, currently held at Kicukiro Police Station, is said to have been declaring a forged hotel receipt book during tax evaluation process.

A seven-month report by Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), presented to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), indicates that instead of declaring taxes worth Frw 198,660,155, they declared only Frw 55,719,557, thus evading taxes amounting to Frw.135,947,438.

While both suspects denied the charges, investigations are still ongoing as the hotel owner is believed to have begun evading taxes since 2008.

"I did not use any forged papers or evade taxes. I do not know precisely why I am detained,” Rumanyika claimed.

Police spokesperson Supt. Theos Badege confirmed that the two suspects were under investigation for tax evasion and use of forged receipts.

Badege urged the business community to "respect the law and pay taxes rather than having to pay fines and getting prosecuted for trying to cheat in the quest of making abnormal profits".

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