Founder of ’Vibaba’ arrested over alleged fraud and forgery
Bashir Uwihanganye, the founder of the Vibaba company, has been arrested and is facing charges including fraud and the use of forged documents. He is suspected of committing these crimes while attempting to deceive a person who gave him $20,000 (over 28 million Rwandan Francs) in exchange for a promis to arrange a car delivery from Dubai.
The arrest was confirmed by Dr. Murangira B. Thierry, spokesperson for the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), who stated that Uwihanganye was apprehended on June 10, 2025.
"Uwihanganye was arrested on June 10, 2025, and is currently held at the RIB Kicukiro station. His case was forwarded to the Prosecution on June 13, 2025," Dr. Murangira said.
The charge of fraud, which Uwihanganye faces, is defined in Article 176 of Law No. 68/2018 of June 30, 2018, on offenses and penalties. If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of between three and five years, along with a fine of no less than Frw 500,000 and no more than Frw 1 million.
The charge of forging, altering, or using forged documents is specified in Article 276 of the same law. If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of between five and seven years, along with a fine of no less than Frw 3 million but not exceeding Frw 5 million, or one of these penalties.
Dr. Murangira emphasized that RIB will not tolerate fraudulent acts or the exploitation of others for personal gain, nor the use of forged documents.
He reminded the public that anyone involved in such activities will be apprehended and brought to justice, as these offenses are punishable by law.
RIB also urged people to exercise caution and avoid trusting individuals claiming to be selling cars, advising them to refrain from handing over money to such persons.
