Rwanda National Police (RNP) has strengthened operations against tendencies of bribery, which have been observed mainly among drivers and taxi-moto operators caught in varied road traffic violations.
Since the beginning of this month, nine drivers and taxi-moto operators have been arrested for attempting to bribe Police officers.
The nine suspected had no driver’s license, roadworthy certificate, insurance; others were driving or riding under the influence of alcohol and other violations that affect the traffic flow.
The RNP spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Boniface Rutikanga, said that fighting bribery is part of the ongoing national Gerayo Amahoro road safety campaign to prevent any practices that can be the source of accidents and loss of lives.
“Road safety means maximum respect for traffic rules and regulations, including having all the required traffic related documents and being in the right state of mind for you to drive or ride. This also includes fighting criminal practices like offering or receiving bribes, which influence motorists to operate recklessly leading to fatal accidents. The nine suspects were arrested as part of the strengthened operations against bribery,” ACP Rutikanga said.
The spokesperson reiterated the need to fight all forms of corruption. “The operations against corruption involves arresting those who give and receive bribes We urge motorists to also report any Police officer who solicits bribes by calling the Police toll-free line 997 or other known Police communication channels.”
He advised that offering a bribe when caught in traffic violations turns it into a crime punishable by law.
Article 4 of the Law on Fighting Against Corruption specifies that any person, who offers, solicits, accepts or receives, by any means, an illegal benefit for himself/herself or another person in order to render or omit a service under his or her mandate, commits an offense.
Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of more than five years but not more than seven years, with a fine of three to five times the value of the illegal benefit solicited or received. (End)