Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has cautioned the public against taking matters in their own hands and called for partnership in exchange of information to prevent crimes through alerting authorities about any misunderstandings within their communities.
Self-administered justice means the unlawful retaliation for an injustice that the affected person carries out himself.
RIB’s acting spokesperson, Modeste Mbabazi, cautioned the public following an incident in Ruhango District where Laurent Ngabonziza allegedly murdered his neighbor Paulin Sempire accusing him of having an affair with his latter’s wife.
Ngabonziza was arrested shortly after hacking Sempire to death.
Preliminary investigations indicate the conflict between the two was well known to the residents but no one alerted the authorities about it.
“If Ngabonziza suspected infidelity on his spouse, he would have reported to the authorities instead of retaliating to murdering a man he suspected to have an affair with his wife,” said Mbabazi.
He added that; “A crime can’t be rectified by a crime. The justice sector is there to ensure that when a crime is committed, professionals and accredited institutions handle it appropriately. When you take matters in your own hands, you will have committed a crime and you will be prosecuted. Everyone has a chance and a right to defend himself or herself in courts of law.”
Article 140 of the Penal Code stipulates that murder is intentional killing of a person and shall be punishable by life imprisonment.
