Police in Kicukiro are holding two men, one of them a Spanish national for allegedly conniving to evade paying taxes to Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA).

The two identified as Luis Duenas Herrera (the Spanish) and Jean Bosco Bavakure, were rounded up on Monday evening after a tip off from RRA.

Herrera, 38 is head of Espina Obras Hidraulicas SA in Rwanda while Bavakure, 43 is an engineer of National Drinking Water Purification Programme (PNEAR).

Espina was contracted to purify water from Nyabarongo River before being channeled to Electrogaz (National Power and Water Utility) system and it currently operates in Kenya, Sudan, Iraq and Uruguay.

PNEAR works under the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and is charged with soliciting appropriate partners to help in the work of supplying water to the rural community.

According to John Uwamungu, the Police Spokesperson, Bavakure helped to secure a tax exemption for the company in accordance with the law for equipment to be used in purification works.

"The first consignment had equipment including extra tiles which Herrera reportedly successfully put on the market for sale contrary to the original agreement,” Uwamungu said.

Herrera ran out of luck when RRA opted to check his second shipment only to find tiles worth 10,000 Euro. While speaking to reporters Herrera admitted committing the crime but insisted he ignorantly did it.

"I shipped extra tiles for my own business but I did not know that I was supposed to pay taxes for them. I am therefore seeking forgiveness from the government and my company,” Herrera pleaded.

In a related development, Nyamirambo Police Station is holding one Claudine Uwamurera, 41, a court clerk at Kigali Central Prison commonly known as 1930 for bribing a Gacaca court coordinator.

Uwamurera was caught red-handed giving John Rubanguka a bribe of Rwf 100,000 to influence decision makers in a Gacaca case involving Martin Habimana.

Rubanguka who is in charge of Nyarugenge, Nyakabanda and Rwezamenyo sectors, tipped off police and helped in the arrest of Uwamurera.

Habimana is currently serving an 18 year jail sentence for crimes he committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and is yet to appear in court to answer additional charges of rape.

Uwamurera denied the charges which she said were trumped up and claimed she was only lending him the money to help pay for school fees of his child at the university.

"He had requested me to help him with school fees for his daughter and besides, how could I have bribed to free a genocide perpetrator when I am a survivor,” Uwamurera wondered.

Meanwhile police saved Emmanuel Habimana from an angry mob after a failed attempt to steal a motorcycle in the wee hours of Monday night.

According to officials from the National Motorcyclists Commuter Association (ASSETAMORWA), Habimana is a ‘thug’ who regularly blinds riders by splashing pepper in their face before robbing them.

Habimana was saved with serious head injuries and is currently getting medication from Kigali Central Hospital (CHK) under police guard.

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