An individual believed to have evaded tax worth Rwf1.5 billion was taken to courts of law by the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA). It was decided that the suspect was guilty of the crime and he was sentenced to one year, which he served and completed.

When the process to auction his properties was underway, it was found out that the suspect didn’t have properties that would be considered to be within the capacity of the money he evaded. He was living in a tiny house with no other properties.

It turned out that he was actually running the business on behalf of someone.

However, the fact that judges and prosecutors didn’t investigate the kind of a person in the beginning to be able to commit such a financial crime shows that there might have been a collaboration between those serving justice and the real owner of the business.

"This is the evolving complexity and challenges of dealing with corruption and related crimes,” Christine Nyirakanyana, a legal expert at the Office of the Ombudsman, says.

A report that is yet to be released by Transparency International Rwanda asserts that prevalence of corruption in Rwanda stands at 8.8 per cent, with the highest rate seen within the public sector.

"A lot of public servants were very honest with us in responding to key questions, and many raised concerns about the rising corruption within the public sector,” Apollinaire Mupiganyi, the organisation’s Executive Secretary said.

Perhaps that can be described by the recent wave of investigations of financial crimes committed by high level officials, including permanent secretaries and ministers.

Currently, Prosecution is charging five senior government officials for flouting laws in a multi-billion francs public tender.

They are charged with cases related to conspiring to mishandle a transaction of purchasing a building from a local businessman.

The building is an office block opposite Umubano Hotel in Kacyiru. According to prosecution, it was valued at Rwf7.5 billion, but was later purchased by the government at Rwf9.8 billion.

That’s not all, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau is currently investigating a list of high level officials believed to have embezzled and wasted public funds for personal interests.

"Our yet to be released report shows that corruption is more prevalent in the public sector at 9.9 per cent. I think there is no question that we need to hold those in offices accountable,” Mupiganyi noted.

What’s the issue?

Another yet to be released report by the Office of the Ombudsman highlights lack of reporting as one of the challenges which continue to drive corruption and corruption related cases.

At least 86.8 per cent didn’t report corruption cases in 2019. Even those that were reported, 55 per cent didn’t see any action while 35 per cent were not satisfied with actions taken.

Nyirakanyana says that is because many people have fear of incrimination while others say the institutions and officials to whom they should be reporting are also corrupt, so they fear intimidation.

Transparency International ranked Africa, in its 2020 report in January, as the region continuing to be wrecked by corruption scandals and limited action to prevent and fight the crime.

As the lowest-scoring region on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), with an average of 32, Sub-Saharan Africa’s performance paints a bleak picture of inaction against corruption.

Yet, countries have committed to preventing corruption in all its forms, a commitment that is yet to be seen in terms of actions.

In July 2003, member states in Africa in Maputo adopted the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption as a roadmap to implement governance and anti-corruption policies.

Colette Ndabarushimana, a legal expert says many countries are yet to implement the provisions set out in the convention, and perhaps that could be a tool to win the fight against corruption.