The Rwanda National Police (RNP) Testing and Licensing (TL) department arrested on Tuesday, January 25, two people, who were attempting to do driving tests with falsified Covid-19 test results.
Alphonse Niyongoma, 44, and Dieudonne Muhoza, 38, were arrested Kigali stadium in Nyarugenge District where they had gone for provisional driving test.
The Deputy RNP spokesperson, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Africa Sendahangarwa Apollo said that the suspects were identified at the gate where Police officers were checking documents for the registered driving candidates.
“Before candidates start the driving tests, Police officers have to check all their papers to ensure that they fulfill all the requirements, and negative Covid-19 test is among those requirements. That is how the two candidates were identified with altered Covid-19 test results,” CSP Africa said.
The suspects, both from Gasabo District, had not gone for Covid-19 test. They altered the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) messages sent to them by those who had done the test.
CSP Sendahangarwa said that police is still searching for their accomplices who sent them the RBC messages that were altered.
Article 276 of the law determining offences and penalties in general states that any person, who in any manner, forges or alters documents by forged signature or fingerprint, falsifying documents or signatures or impersonation, forging agreements, its provisions, obligations, or discharged obligations, commits an offence.
Any person who, with fraudulent intention, produces a false written document, causes to write false statements or produces a conflicting declaration, is considered to commit the offence of forgery.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five (5) years but not more than seven (7) years and a fine of not less than Frw3 million and not more than Frw5 million or only one of these penalties.(End)