Housekeeper reports employer to police over counterfeit money

A housekeeper in Kamonyi District, Friday, braved about 15 kilometres from Ngamba Sector to the District Police Unit (DPU) headquarters to report his employer, for allegedly circulating counterfeit money.

Monday, April 03, 2017

A housekeeper in Kamonyi District, Friday, braved about 15 kilometres from Ngamba Sector to the District Police Unit (DPU) headquarters to report his employer, for allegedly circulating counterfeit money. This is an act of community policing that has been commended by Rwanda National Police (RNP). It all started when Fedele Nshimiyimana, a nurse at a health centre in Kamonyi, gave his house-help, Alex Nyamukubita, fake currency notes amounting to Rwf200, 000 circulate. Well knowing that he was being used in criminal activities, Nyamukubita decided to walk a 15km journey on a sunny afternoon to the DPU, arriving at about 4pm where he handed over the counterfeit money to the police. Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Andre Hakizimana, the regional police spokesperson, said that the police "immediately recorded the case and started investigations.” "The boy told police that his employer had other fake currency notes at home, and requested to lead them to the house, where officers also recovered other Rwf100, 000 from Nshimiyimana, who was immediately taken into custody over the crime,” said CIP Hakizimana. Meanwhile, Nshimiyimana, who confessed to the act and using his housekeeper to circulate the fake monies, has since told police that he had bought the fake notes from someone in Nyacyonga in Gasabo District at Rwf100, 000, genuine money. "We are still investigating and to get to the bottom of the case…the origin of these counterfeit currencies and all those people involved ensuring that they face the wrath of the law,” said the spokesperson. He commended the housekeeper for the "brave and exemplary” act and appealed to the general public to follow suit to fight such economic crimes which are side to be of high impact on the economy. "This is someone, who earns little money doing domestic chores. He could have decided to keep quiet and accepted the share his employer had promised him after accomplishing the illegal act; but he didn’t because he understood his duty as a responsible Rwandan. He set a precedent that everyone should emulate in fighting and preventing crimes wherever you live or walk,” said CIP Hakizimana. Article 601 of the penal code, specifies a prison sentence of between five and seven years to anyone convicted of fraudulently counterfeiting, falsifying or altering coins, which are legal tender.