•Senior officials evasive, hung up phones

The Commissioner General of Police, Andrew Rwigamba and the Criminal Investigation Department boss, Costa Habyara, have been indefinitely suspended on several counts of abuse of office.

Sources from the Ministry of Internal Security Thursday said the two were suspended together with the Chairman of the Internal Tender Committee of the National Police, Peter Sano.

Police sources added they were suspended by Internal Security Minister, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana.

Despite the news having been the talk of the town, government and police officials were evasive and none could go on record. When contacted, Harelimana, whose ministry oversees the police, repeatedly threw a shroud over the affair.

"Call the police spokesperson to elaborate on the story, because he is paid to inform the public about what is happening in the police,” Harelimana said by phone.

Pressured on Friday to clear the air, the minister told Sunday Times to call back after an hour but he repeatedly refused to answer the phone calls.

Suprisingly, the Secretary General of the ministry, Ambassador Joseph Mutaboba claimed ignorance, yet matters regarding the police emanate from his office.

The Deputy Commissioner General of Police, Mary Gahonzire, could do no better. She continually said she was in a long meeting and she too referred this reporter to Police Spokesman, Willy Marcel Higiro. When contacted on Friday and Saturday evening, Higiro said the matter was too sensitive for him.

"I cannot tell you anything because this issue is beyond me,” Higiro said, adding that he first needed a clearance from his superiors before he could talk to the media.

By press time, he said he had not got clearance but instead asked Sunday Times to contact Harelimana, saying, he was higher than him and well positioned to give the last word.

"There are certain issues I am supposed to talk about as a police spokesperson, but what you are asking now is too big,” Higiro said before his phone went off.

Costa Habyara consistently refused to pick his phone. When Andrew Rwigamba heard it was The New Times on the line, he immediately hung up. The sources say that the suspension of the trio is related to a shoddy tender in police.

Tenders in some government departments have in the past raised many questions with persistent reports from the Auditor General that the process is sometimes marred by lack of transparency and fair competition.

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