Police in Gatsibo District are holding a one Jean-Paul Bizimana in connection with using forged documents and attempting to bribe an official in charge of land registration.

Narrating the circumstances surrounding the arrest, the Eastern Region Police Spokesperson, Emmanuel Kayigi, said Bizimana was caught red-headed on September 8 at Ngarama Sector offices attempting to offer a bribe of Rwf30,000 to the official, who tipped Police.

"Bizimana’s mother gave her land to her nine children, including Bizimana, but it is alleged that Bizimana forged papers indicating that he had purchased the land from his mother at Rwf200,000. When his siblings showed up for farming, he chased them away, claiming sole ownership of the land,” Kayigi said.

"He went ahead to have the land registered in his name, and in the due course, that's how he tried to bribe the official in charge to help him in his illegal acts,” he added.

Article 640 of the Penal Code stipulates 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 up to seven years and a fine of up to ten times the value of the illegal benefit they offered or promised.”

Under Article 609, that any person who forges or alters documents by forged signature or fingerprint, falsifying documents or signatures or impersonation, forging agreements, its provisions, obligations, discharged obligations shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up Rwf3 million.

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