The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) apprehended three people suspected of involvement in fraudulent land ownership schemes and illegal land sales. On December 4, RIB paraded the suspects: Christian Munyantore, a private notary claiming to be a land surveyor; Moses Orikiriza, a former land surveyor; and Jean-Marie Ufiteyezu, their accomplice. The trio faces charges of obtaining property through fraud, using forged documents, and forming or joining a criminal association. ALSO READ: Electronic land titles helping to check fraud They are currently under detention at Rusororo RIB station as their case is being prepared for submission to the Prosecution. The suspects were arrested on November 28. How the crimes were committed According to RIB spokesperson Thierry Murangira, the bureau received reports of individuals fraudulently registering people’s land plot under their names and selling it illegally, without the knowledge of the rightful owners. “They gather all necessary information about a piece of land, and then collaborate with a notary to transfer the title to one of the scammers. The land is quickly sold to an unsuspecting buyer, often before the rightful owner of the land becomes aware of the transfer,” Murangira explained. In the current case, Orikiriza allegedly identified and provided details about the land plots, while Munyantore facilitated the transfer of titles to Ufiteyezu. In one such transfer, the trio is said to have sold a 1.5-hectare property in Gasabo District for Rwf60 million on October 30. ALSO READ: City dwellers warned of scams in property market The fraud was discovered when the legitimate landowner noticed activities on their property and confronted the buyer, who realized they had fallen victim to the fraud. Recovered assets Murangira said that RIB recovered over Rwf13 million and a vehicle valued at Rwf4 million, which was believed to be proceeds from the scams. Murangira also highlighted another common scheme where scammers use stolen land titles as collateral for informal loans, often referred to as “Banque Lambert”. RIB has urged the public to exercise caution when buying land. People are advised to verify land ownership through the *651# and report any suspicious activities to authorities. The authorities urged for vigilance as white-collar crimes, including land scams, are becoming more prevalent. The suspects face various penalties, including prison sentences ranging between two to 10 years. The use of forged documents is punished with five to seven years of imprisonment, fraud two to three years of imprisonment and a fine between Rwf3 million and Rwf5 million, while forming or joining a criminal association could result in a prison sentence of seven to 10 years.
