The various measures the Judiciary has set up to fight corruption have started to bear fruit, the Vice-President of the Supreme Court has said.

Justice Zaïnabu Sylvie Kayitesi, who was speaking in Nyanza District on Friday at the closure of the sixth anti-corruption week, said during the campaign, 56 corruption cases were tried.

The measures include setting up anti-corruption committees in all the courts, putting in place the annual anti-corruption week, setting up the surveillance office in charge of fighting corruption with an auditor in charge of monitoring corruption-related issues in all courts in the country.

She also cited the sensitisation of judges and court registrars on whistle-blowing and reduction of backlog of cases in courts.

"Those set measures have yielded results because if you look at the reports of those in charge of following up the state of corruption-related cases in various institutions, including Rwanda Governance Board, Transparency International Rwanda, they indicate that the corruption is on the decline and that many people trust operations of the judicial organ and courts in general,” the Lady Justice said.

Kayitesi, however, said the efforts require the role of everyone.

"A country where corruption prevails is characterised by instability and a slowdown of the economy because property is amassed by some illegally. Particularly for the judicial organ, corruption makes those who need justice unable to get it, yet judiciary is the last channel through which one can get fair treatment,” she said.

More awareness campaigns

Kayitesi said, during the week, awareness messages were taken to schools, prisons and courts to sensitise Rwandans to prevent and fight corruption.

However, she noted that corruption has not been fully tackled in courts.

Kayitesi said judicial officials who are involved in corruption are held accountable and punished accordingly, adding that in the last 10 years, 32 judges were implicated in corruption, including five last year.

She cited lack of information among the challenges hindering the effective fight against corruption.

Kayitesi said although Rwanda ranks the least corrupt country in the region and the fourth least corrupt country in Africa, more efforts should be made to fight the vice.

Marie-Immaculée Ingabire, the chairperson of Transparency International Rwanda, said corruption will be fully tackled once people embrace honesty and stop paying for services they are entitled to.

She said a recent survey in commercial courts showed a decrease in corruption cases there.

"People who seek judicial services report that corruption cases have decreased. When we follow up, we realise that there are strong measures which have resulted in such decrease,” Ingabire said.

"There is a system that judges have set, I can call it a self-regulatory body. They sit and assess all the cases they tried. If they realise there is a case that has issues, they ask the judge in question to explain. 

"If it has reached such a point, the high judicial board starts evaluating the judge’s behaviour. That is a preventive measure when you know that there is another person, another ‘eye’ to evaluate your work.” 

Sept Nzasabimana, 63, a resident of Busasamana Sector in Nyanza District, said corruption leaves victims deprived of their rights.

He said the anti-corruption week was gratifying as it created awareness in community on the dangers of graft.

The week was held under the theme, "Shun corruption to build a new Rwanda free of injustice.”

editorial@newtimes.co.rw