Police in Nyanza District are holding two men arrested while attempting to offer a bribe of Rwf380,000 to an officer to enable them procure an illegal service. The supects were apprehended on Saturday at Busasamana Police Station where they had gone to seduce the officer to release their vehicle, which had been impounded. The vehicle had been impounded a week ago after it was found loaded with stumps of a local tree plant called Kabaruka cut illegally in the Nyanza. Chief Supt. Hubert Gashagaza, Southern regional Police spokesperson, said the two suspects tried to offer a bribe to the officer at the station to have their vehicle released. “They brought the money amounting to Rwf380,000 to compromise the officer to release their vehicle, but they were arrested in the act after the officer reported the matter,” CSP Gashagaza said. “We have zero tolerance for corruption in Rwanda and Police, in particular, and measures have been taken to combat it,” he added. More than 100 people, majority drivers have been arrested since September, last year, for attempting to bribe Police officers. The RNP established the Anti-corruption department, e-policing, especially in registration for driver’s licence tests, ethics centre and conducts internal audits and force discipline to keep the officers in check. Article 641 of the Penal Code states that any person who explicitly or implicitly offers, proposes directly or indirectly a gift or any other illegal benefit, to a person in charge of a service, mission or mandate or who promises it in order to render a service or to refrain from carrying out any usual duties, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five to seven years and a fine of twice to ten times the value of the illegal benefit they offered or promised editorial@newtimes.co.rw
