PROBE - Five employees in Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Minicom) have recorded statements with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over circumstances under which they were recruited into the ministry.  They were summoned on Wednesday October 09 to CID headquarters in Kacyiru. The officials include Laurance Mukarugwiza (Regional Integration officer), Christian Twahirwa (Planning officer), Jacques Rwumbuguza (Procurement officer) JMV Kayiza (Budget officer) and Josian Irakiza, the acting secretary to the Secretary General (SG).

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Chief Superintendent Costa Habyara confirmed the summoning and said the police had launched a full inquiry into the matter.
He said the police want to find out the authenticity of reports that Mincom’s past recruitment exercises were characterized by irregularities.

"Investigations are on and I don’t know how long they will take,” Habyara said by phone yesterday.

Internal and external recruitment exercises within the ministry have raised serious concerns in the past, with emerging reports suggesting that some employees were recruited without following guidelines.

A source in Minicom says some employees were recruited after failing interviews while others earn double remunerations.

The source also alleges that the SG, Justin Nsengiyumva has continued to disregard recruitment guidelines and offering double salaries to a few employees.

The SG reportedly recruited Christian Twahirwa as planning officer yet the public service and Labour ministry had rejected him without giving a reason.

Twahirwa’s case has since raised eyebrows between the SG and some officials in the Ministry.

The source also alleges that in June last year, Nsengiyumva, recruited Jack Rwumbuguza in the procurement office yet he had earlier failed an interview for the post of Tourism officer.

Also according to the source, Rwumbuguza had during the interview reportedly scored only 45 percent, yet the legal pass mark is 70 and above.

Nsengiyumva reportedly also recommended Mukarugwiza for a three-month training course in Namibia before she officially became an employee of the ministry.

It is also alleged that the SG’s Secretary, Irakiza earns a salary of Frw170,000 from Mifotra and Frw100,000 from integrated framework, a capacity-building World Bank project under Minicom.

Asked yesterday why officials were summoned to CID, the SG said he was unaware about the police development.

Nsengiyumva had earlier however, defended his secretary, saying she deserved double payment because she was working extra hours.

On Friday, October 12, minister of Public Service, Labour and Skills Development, Prof. Manasseh Nshuti said double payment would only be possible in exceptional cases.
He said, for an employee to earn extra money, a management board has to sit first and approve of it.

"The management board plays a big role in payment and nobody can doubt its choice,” Nshuti explained on phone, adding that such extra payments arise under cases where one works beyond normal hours.
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