Police in Kirehe District are holding seven people accused of posing as preachers to fleece a Tanzanian businessman of Tsh5 million (about Rwf2 million).Residents said the men have been masquerading as preachers targeting residents in a cash-for-prayers syndicate. The suspects were arrested on Thursday, after they were trailed from Rusumo, where they had conned their victim with a promise that they would protect his money before they disappeared. The men offered the victim a small bag to carry the money he had just changed from Rwanda francs, but disappeared with it in a nick of time, Police said. Hamis Pamba Mkasa discovered that his money had gone after crossing the border to Tanzania, prompting him to report the matter at Police station. “The approach of the men was unique, it was not easy for me to suspect them to be con men. They showed me a lot of sympathy, as they volunteered to give me a portable bag to carry my money,” Mkasa said.More claims against suspects“The bag they gave me contained a Bible too; this, coupled with the God’s words they were saying, made me trust them. We shared some good words and I crossed to the other side of the border. But I was shocked when I found that only the Bible was left in the bag. All the money was gone,” he said. Mkasa said he then returned to the Rwandan side of the border to report the matter to Police.“I haven’t recovered my money yet, but I am so happy with the way Rwandan Police reacted fast to my case. I am optimistic that I will get the money back; it is a big lesson for me,” he said.Two other people reported to Police, claiming the suspects had conned them of $5,000 (about Rwf3.4 million). Abdallan Murengerantwari, a resident of Kacyiru in Kigali, identified the seven men as con men before Police.“These people conned me of $3,000 (about Rwf2 million). They did the same to my colleague, who lost $2,000 (about Rwf1.3 million),” he said.Jean Marie Njangwe, the Eastern Province Police spokesman, urged the public to remain vigilant. “People should be careful with strangers who try to engage them in monetary transactions,” Njangwe said.
