EASTERN PROVINCE

KIREHE — The Police at Nyarubuye in Kirehe district are holding two people for alleged counterfeit. Ngendahayo Valence 30, of Ruhanga Kigina sector and Nizeyimana Aldaphonse 27, of Mpanga sector, were arrested on Monday.

Police said the arrest followed a complaint by one resident Ndagijimana Lauren who had been given Frw60,000, counterfeit notes in denominations of Frw2000 by Ngendahayo to buy him beans.

According to police, Ndagijmana reported the matter after he heard an announcement over the radio warning people about counterfeit money.

He had successfully used Frw4,000 of the money to take his wife to the hospital. He then took the remaining Frw56,000 to the police after listening to an announcement.

"He reported because that’s when he realized that the money given to him was fake,” a police official who declined to be named told The New Times this week.

The police found the suspects with Frw28,000 counterfeit notes all in Frw2,000 denominations. However, Ngendahayo denies the offence. He claimed that he had also got the money ignorantly from the sale of his beans.

"I don’t know this trader because I only saw him the day he came to buy my beans. I never bothered to ask him the name but what I know he’s from Kigali,” Ngendahayo said at the police station.

He says the trader bought 940kg of his beans at Frw228 per kilogram using fake money. However, Nizeyimana insists he got the money from Ngendahayo to buy him beans. But according to police, the suspects have been using counterfeit money to buy beans from residents.

The police say Ngendahayo had earlier given Ndagijimana another Frw30,000 in similar denominations in the pretext of seeking changed money.

Police has issued a red notice to the people following this incident. It has circulated circulars prescribing genuine and fake money to different parts of the district and at all sectors.

Ends