Miss Rwanda Divine Muheto received a suspended prison sentence for drink driving

A court in Rwanda has given a beauty queen a three-month suspended prison sentence for drink driving and driving without a licence.

Divine Muheto, who won the most recent Miss Rwanda pageant, was also fined 190,000 Rwandan francs ($140; £109).

According to the local site, Ms Muheto crashed her car into a lamppost and a palm tree while driving home from a bar in the capital Kigali last month. New Times.

In a statement made at the time, it was said that the woman fled the scene, but the court acquitted her of this charge.

He was not present at the court hearing and neither was the prosecution, which sought a two-year prison sentence for him.

After 18 days in police custody, the judge ordered his immediate release.

It is not yet clear whether the prosecutor will object to the decision.

Ms. Muheto did not publicly react to the incident. But his lawyers say he expressed remorse and asked for forgiveness.

This is not the first time the 21-year-old driver has driven under the influence of alcohol, according to police in the East African country.

She rose to fame in Rwanda after winning the national beauty pageant in 2022.

The competition has not been held since; It was suspended by the government after allegations of sexual harassment were made against the organisers.

Drink driving carries a fine of 150,000 Rwandan francs ($110; £85) and five days in police custody.

Thousands of people have been arrested for this crime in recent years as the police began to enforce the law.