Two people suspected of cutting electricity cables connecting households in Burera District were arrested.
Valens Hagenimana, 23, and Janvier Niyotwagira, 22, were arrested in Kirwa Village, Bugamba Cell in Kinyababa Sector with 35 metres of electricity cables, which they allegedly cut from different households.
The wires were connecting homes to the national grid.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Alex Ndayisenga, the Northern Region Political and Civic Education Officer (RPCEO), said that the acts caused power outage in some parts of Kirwa Village.
“Residents had complained about unknown people, who cut and steal electricity wires, especially at night, putting their homes in darkness; Hagenimana and Niyotwagira were the prime suspects.
Police officers went and searched their homes in Kirwa Village, where sacks containing electricity wires allegedly cut from homes, were found and the two suspects arrested,” SP Ndayisenga said.
The suspects, who were handed over to RIB at Butaro station for further investigations, were selling the wires as scraps.
SP Ndayisenga warned against vandalizing public infrastructure and urged the public to report those who destroy them.
Article 182 of the law determining offences and penalties states that any person who maliciously demolishes or damages in any way, in whole or in part of construction, building, bridge, dams, water pipes and their routes, railway rails or any other means of communication or electric power infrastructure, wells or any other constructions which do not belong to him/her, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than five years with a fine of not less than Frw3 million and not more than Frw5 million. (End)