The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has detained Eugene Barikana, a member of the lower chamber of Parliament, for illegal possession of arms.
According to a statement on the RIB Twitter handle, Barikana was arrested shortly after resigning from his role as a lawmaker.
“Upon his arrest, Barikana explained that he had the arms while living with personnel of the Rwanda Defence Force but forgot to hand them over afterwards,” part of the RIB statement reads.
The RIB specified that the firearms in question include one grenade and one SMG (AK-47) magazine.
Barikana is currently held at Remera Police Station in Gasabo district, pending further investigation.
Article 7 of the law on illegal possession of arms stipulates that if found guilty, an individual may face a sentence of 1-2 years in jail and a fine of Rwf 1-2 million, or either of the two.
Eugene Barikana is a seasoned politician who has served in both local and central government and was in his second term as a lawmaker.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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