Rwanda police has said that three members of the late Kigali tycoon Assinapol Rwigara’s family, who were taken in for questioning, were released Monday night.

The family is being probed for suspected tax evasion while Diane Shima Rwigara, a rights activist and politician, is under investigations over claims she forged signatures during her presidential bid. She was disqualified from the race.

Diane, her mother Adeline and sister Anne had been taken in for questioning on Monday at about 4pm in a dramatic break-in into their house in the upscale suburb of Kiyovu in Kigali.

Police spokesperson Theos Badege said the trio had been required to answer to summons on Monday but did not show up, forcing the police to bring them in for interrogation.

“After questioning at CID, Anne Rwigara, Diane Rwigara, and Adeline Rwigara were escorted home by the police,” Rwanda National Police tweeted on Tuesday morning. The CID is the criminal and investigations department at the police headquarters in Kacyiru.

Mr Badege confirmed to The EastAfrican that the family members returned home Monday night but “may be invited again as investigations continue”.

Confrontation

Diane, a critic of President Paul Kagame, and four members of her family had not been seen since Tuesday last week when police raided their house and confiscated communication gadgets.

Relatives said they had been arrested, claims the police denied.

On Monday, officers had to scale the wall of the Rwigara residence to enter into their home.

A fuming Diane confronted the police accusing them of taking away all their money during the search last week.

"How do you expect us to get to the police when you have locked us in? You took all the money from us, you took our phones. How do you expect us to move when you have left us without a coin?" she posed angrily.

Local media reported that more than Rwf150 million (about $178,000) and a large amount of foreign currency had been seized from the house.

The EastAfrican could not independently verify the claims.

Last week, President Kagame, in veiled reference to the Rwigaras, said that no one had a right to evade public taxes, adding that even if someone had intentions to run for presidency and failed, it did not give the immunity to embezzle public funds.

The Rwigaras, whose father was a onetime ally of President Kagame and financed the ruling party, are alleged to owe the government Rwf5 billion ($5.9 million). The family however denied the allegations and insists they are being persecuted.