Former Rwandan MP arrested for illegal weapons

“He is being prosecuted for illegal possession of weapons. He says he got them while living with soldiers and forgot to return them,” the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) said in a statement late on Monday.

The RIB did not provide any information about the time of the arrest or the type of weapons found. However, local media quoted police as saying officers searched his home and discovered a grenade and an AK-47 rifle.

Local media said Barikana was arrested on Saturday. The RIB statement said he would remain in custody “as the investigation continues to uncover how he obtained the firearms and why he possessed them without the permission of the law.”

RIB officials did not respond to calls from AFP for further details on the case.

If found guilty of illegal weapons possession, Barikana could face a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine of between one and two million Rwandan francs ($770 to $1,540).

A relatively low-profile politician, Barikana previously served as a cabinet director in the Prime Minister’s Office and as a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government.

The Great Lakes country has been ruled by President Paul Kagame’s RPF party since the end of the genocide in 1994.

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