Rusagara arrested

BY GODWIN AGABA Brigadier General Frank Rusagara is under detention on accusations of sabotaging police efforts to apprehend Assinapol Rwigara last month. The general was arrested on Wednesday and was immediately put under arrest at Kanombe military barracks, sources have said. Military Spokesman Maj. Jill Rutararemara confirmed Rusagara’s arrest yesterday but could not divulge into details. “Yes, he was arrested but I can promise (to give) details tomorrow (today),” Rutaremara said last evening. But sources said Rusagara – commandant of Rwanda Military Academy – was arrested because he facilitated Rwigara to escape arrest on July 27. Rwigara who has been in hiding since his construction site in Kigali collapsed and claimed three people, narrowly escaped arrest at Apace Secondary School, Kabusunzu in Kigali. The six policemen who had gone to arrest him were reportedly deterred by Gen. Rusagara. It is reported that the general claimed that police should not have sought to arrest Rwigara at a time when he was attending a funeral service. Upon arrival at the funeral service, the policemen reportedly produced a warrant of arrest and moved forward to capture the businessman but the latter allegedly pleaded for the general’s rescue. Rusagara was among the mourners attending the function of the wife to Uziah Iyamuremye, the director of KK Security. Sources further said that Rusagara subsequently called Police Deputy Commissioner General for Operations, Mary Gahonzire, wondering why police could storm a funeral service. Gahonzire could not be reached for a comment by press time as she could not answer her phone. Rusagara is also a former secretary general in the Defence ministry. Rwigara has been on the run since police issued arrest warrant against him last month in connection to his deadly construction site tragedy, and amid reports that the construction was illegal. However his case is shredded in a controversy as some of his family members claim that police knows his whereabouts. Policemen who failed the mission to arrest the tycoon at Apace are also in police custody.