Police detain BNR officials over theft

PROBE - Three National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) officials have been arrested and are being detained at Nyamirambo Police Station over alleged embezzlement of more than Frw50 million. Francois Rusagara, Francois Murenzi and Laurent Ndagijimana were arrested Tuesday and have been quizzed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the missing monies from the bank. Rusagara and Murenzi were cashiers at BNR headquarters in Kigali, while Ndagijimana was based at the bank’s Huye Branch in Southern Province. Yesterday, BNR Governor, Francois Kanimba and the CID Chief Superintendent Costa Habyara, both confirmed the arrests. “We handed them to CID for investigations and are still waiting for results,” Kanimba said. He declined to give further details. Habyara said: “All were cashiers and each is accused of embezzling different amounts. Murenzi is accused of having embezzled Frw20m, Rusagara Frw26m while Ndagijimana has to account for Frw 5.7m.” It is alleged the accused were unlawfully getting money from BNR coffers and loaning it to businessmen. “The business men are being sought to help with the investigations,” Habyara added.This case is the third in a series that has lately rocked BNR. There have been similar cases from the bank’s branches in Musanze, Northern Province and Muhanga in Southern Province.Ends