Rwanda sacks senior police officers amid corruption allegations

New officers of Rwanda National Police at a pass-out parade. Over 50 senior police officers have left the force amid speculation that the move is aimed at kicking out suspected corrupt officers. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA 

By Correspondent Rwanda Today

Over 50 senior police officers have left the force amid speculation that the move is aimed at kicking out suspected corrupt officers.

The officers include CSP Emmanuel Kayiranga and SSP Albert Gakara Ndatsikira who were both directors of intelligence in the Criminal Investigations Department. The duo had been accused of corruption after cash they had siezed from suspects disappeared.

President Paul Kagame earlier this month signed a Presidential Order N° 110/01 of 15/07/2014 which “laid off” 56 senior police offers on the request of the minister for internal security. 18 more officers were dismissed.

Rwanda national police remained tight-lipped over the dismissal with the police spokesperson Damas Gatare saying that these are standard procedures in any police force, where people whose service is deemed not fit to serve are allowed to leave the force.

However, he said those dismissed were relieved of their duties for reasons ranging from discipline, misconduct and corruption among others reasons.

“Some officers he said, had applied for retirement from the force for different reasons including medical conditions, age or other personal reasons which the ministry and police looked into before they were allowed to leave,” said Mr Gatare.

Prior to his suspension in April 2013, CSP Kayiranga was the Director of Intelligence at CID and previously had served as the police spokesperson. SSP Gakara on the other hand was the head of intelligence in Kigali.

The duo were suspended and briefly detained on suspicion of embezzling over Rwf20 million which they had seized from robbery suspects. The suspected robbers in question were arrested in December 2012 in Rwanda after they allegedly stole $1 million from Goma in DR Congo.

It is understood that the two officers, who were leading the operation to arrest the thugs, transferred the said amount to their personal accounts. However the movement was detected.

At the time of their arrest, the spokesperson of the prosecution Alain Mukuralinda confirmed that the two officers were being investigated on charges of poor handling of exhibits.

Details

The presidential order, however, does not divulge details of why the officers left the force.

Only nine officers were sent to retirement and they include the former Commissioner of Police Steven Barinda.

Allegations of corruption in police remain rampant even though RNP maintains that it has strengthened internal mechanisms to rout out the vice.

The 2013 Corruption and Bribery Index by Transparency International put police as the most corrupt institution, ahead of decentralised entities and the judiciary. However, RNP was ranked the least corrupt police institution in the East African Community.