Rwanda National Police (RNP) has cautioned the public against forging and holding fake driver’s license.

This follows the arrest of two men on Tuesday, November 8, who connived to forge a driver’s license.

The alleged crime was committed back in 2011, when an employee of one of the driving schools in Rubavu District, helped one of his then aspiring drivers to acquire a forged driving permit.

Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera
RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera said that the alleged criminal act was unearthed when one of the suspects identified as Phocas Turahirwa, 42, attempted to renew his expired forged driver’s license.

"Turahirwa had submitted his request to the department of Testing and Licensing to have his expired driver’s license renewed. It the process, it emerged that the license he was using, which indicated that it was issued in 2011, was fake. Turahirwa was immediately arrested," said CP Kabera.

Further investigations, he added, revealed that with the help of the driving school, Turahirwa was illegally added on the list of candidates, which the Police had approved to do practical tests.

"It has since emerged that the driving school whitewashed one of the shortlisted candidates and added Turahirwa, who also did not show up for the tests.

Further, the Traffic department conducted the practical tests on February, 2, 2012, but Turahirwa’s license, which is not registered in the system, indicates that it was printed on February 2, 2011, a year before the scheduled practical tests were conducted," CP Kabera explained.

To have his name added on the list of shortlisted candidates, Turahirwa allegedly paid a bribe of Frw150,000 to his accomplice.

"It does not matter when the crime was committed; if it comes to light, you and anyone connected to that wrongful act, will face the law," CP Kabera warned.

He observed that these illegal acts by some driving schools can be the source of road accidents and loss of lives as some of the drivers may have no knowledge on traffic rules and regulations.

AE News