The Rwanda Defence Force has said that a news item on Voice of America, on the arrest of a certain Nsabiyaremye Gratien, was far from the truth and an attempt to distort facts.

In a statement released yesterday, the RDF said Nsabiyaremye was arrested by the police for highway robbery.

VOA Kinyarwanda service had quoted a person by the name of Habimana Boniface alleging that the suspect was abducted by the military.

"The true facts of the case are that on 1 January 2012, at 2300hrs, a Marine patrol in Rubona Cell, Nyamyumba Sector,  pursued criminals who had waylaid a businessman, Hakizimana Jean Marie Vianney, and robbed him of a motorcycle, three mobile phones and 160,000Frw in cash,” reads part of the statement.

"One of the criminals, identified as Nsabiyaremye Gratien, was pursued up to his house where he resisted arrest. The case was handed over to police who arrested Nsabimana Gratien in the morning of 2 January 2012 and is now in Police custody at Rubavu Police Station.”

"The allegations that Nsabiyaremye was abducted by the military are false and misleading. Nobody should hide behind political affiliations to defeat the course of justice,” the statement ends.

Ends