The chief Magistrate in Musanze district Claudien Niyonizera 57, who has been recently transferred to Rwamagana district, was on Tuesday caught red-handed by the police inspection with the assistance of the litigant and other responsible citizens, in Kigali receiving the bribe worth Frw 100, 000.
Police Spokesperson Supt. Theos Badege told igihe.com, “The judge (Niyonizera ,pictured above)was caught while receiving sum of Frw 100,000 from the litigant.”
According to the Spokesperson, the suspect was supposed to receive Frw 100,000 down pay in the first phase and after the litigant of the case wins his case, the judge was going to be given other Frw 70M in addition.
The litigant in the case is Francois Ntinzehiki of Musanze who is accusing the transport company called Golliland (where he was an employee) of not paying him his Frw 700M.
It is said that in an agreement with Judge, Ntinzehiki was supposed to pay him Frw 70m toppling Frw 100, 000 that is after winning and being refunded his Frw 700M. But with the pressure put on him by the Judge upon the bribe, he decided to make a photocopy of this amount before he gives it to him so that it can work as an exhibit.
Badege said that though the investigations are still underway with local official, the available exhibits are enough to produce the judge to court.
Suspected judge, has however, not accepted allegations saying he was not involved in receiving the bribe.
“I received a phone call from my friend inviting me to meet him at the City Valley Hotel here in Kigali to share with him a bottle of beer and when I reached I found he was with a person with whom I am handling his case but I never interacted with him though,” said Judge Niyonizera.
According to the suspect, he has been helping his friend Jean Chrysostome Harerimana 61 also of Musanze but present at the scene of crime to lend him money for his own problems. He says that this friend however borrowed money from the other victim also present to refund him.
His friend Harerimana, a farmer who is also in custody with the judge and accused of intermediating the two suspects that “I had asked Ntinzehiki (litigant) to lend me some money to refund Niyonizera (Judge). He then called me saying he is coming to Kigali and he has the money and in the due course Niyonizera found us there and I just received money from Ntizehiki and paid Niyonizera.”
According to the suspected judge, the litigant’s case was supposed to open this Thursday at Musanze High Court and he the same judge was supposed to handle it before relocating to Rwamagana where he has been transferred.
The judge says by the time of his detention, he had come to sleep in Kigali and proceed to Rwamagana the following day to look for a house where he was supposed to stay during his work there.
Chrysostome Harerimana and judge Niyonizera are now held at Remera Police Station.
National Police continues to argue the public to help report and curb down such illegal activities that retards the development of the country
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