Police refutes FDU allegations

KIGALI - Rwanda National Police has refuted recent allegations by the so-called Permanent Consultative Council of Opposition Parties in Rwanda (PCC), that police is torturing opposition politicians who are in custody for causing public disorder. Police recently arrested several members from the yet-to-be-registered FDU-Inkingi and PS Imberakuri political party for taking part in illegal demonstrations. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, FDU’s leader and Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party (also not registered) issued a joint statement under PCC denouncing the alleged police actions against their party members. “Those are baseless allegations, they have a hidden motive. First of all, we arrested them for organising illegal demonstrations and we are treating them like any other suspects,” Police spokesman, Supt. Eric Kayiranga, said. Kayiranga in a statement said that the Rwanda National Police has always treated wrong doers in a professional manner. “We are informing the public that those illegal demonstrators were visited by a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Aleena Pitisant and her colleague on Wednesday, and they spent more than three hours with them.” The spokesman added that relatives of those arrested have also visited them. “A few of them have simple flu and cough and none of them has come out to express a need for medication, yet they are saying the police has denied them access to medications, it is a total lie,” Kayiranga added yesterday by telephone. Kayiranga warned that whoever breaches the law will not be spared regardless of the position they hold. “Whether they are presidential contenders, or any one from any party; if they break the law, police will treat him/her like any other citizen,” he added. “We are law enforcers and we cannot act contrary to our professional conduct. Any wrong doer is arrested and tried.” Kayiranga also revealed that the files of those arrested have been transferred to the prosecution for possible trial. The police spokesman described the act (allegations made by Ingabire on the BBC Gahuza miryango) as lying to the public through media which he warned will not be tolerated as it is aimed at tarnishing the image of a security institution. Ends