A Rwandan beauty pageant organiser and well-known former musician was arrested on Tuesday over sexual assault accusations, police said.

Dieudonne Ishimwe, popularly known as Prince Kid, was taken into custody over alleged “sexual assault related crimes”, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) said.

The 36-year-old was facing charges that he allegedly committed offences against former contestants of Miss Rwanda at various times, Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) spokesman Thierry Murangira, told AFP.

The case will be referred to the prosecution “in due time”, Murangira added.

Ishimwe is the head of Rwanda Inspiration Backup, the company behind the annual Miss Rwanda pageant.

His arrest, which trigged a mixed reaction on social media, comes after the organisation announced last week that a former Miss Rwanda had resigned as communications director after four years with the company.

Miss Rwanda debuted in the global Miss World competition in 2016, according to its website.

It bills itself as the East African country’s leading beauty pageant.

AFP