KIREHE – Police in Kirehe District are holding one bank official after Rwf42 million went missing from Bank Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) Kirehe branch.The detained official and another suspect allegedly took the money from the safe. The suspect is currently held at Kirehe Police Station pending further investigations.Police Spokesman, Superintendent Theos Badege, confirmed the arrest yesterday, adding that the hunt for the other suspect currently at large was ongoing.He however warned the banks to put in place proper mechanism, to deter their own staff from stealing money.“Economic crimes cannot be tolerated. Banks should also ease our work by putting in place security systems…the suspects are BPR staff, meaning that there is a weakness in general control,” he said.The suspect however, claimed that money was missing due to the exchanges he made with the colleague in the bank. He said the money was still in the bank, adding that his colleague was only being a coward by fleeing.It is alleged that he stole Rwf32 million while his colleague escaped with Rwf 9.2 million.Residents however say theft by bank staff was on the rise in rural branches.Jean Claude Muvunyi, a resident of the district equally blamed bank management. He noted that the case was not unique to BPR only, but to other rural banks also.“This reminds me of a similar case in Cogebanque Rwamagana branch…recently an official stole Rwf5 million and claimed to have been bewitched,” he said.
