Govt employees’ wealth under probe

KIGALI - The office of Ombudsman is concerned that some government employees could be amassing wealth beyond their earnings, Sunday Times has learnt. Following the wealth declaration exercise mid this year, the Ombudsman launched investigations to check whether the amounts declared reflect the reality on the ground. However, on crosschecking, investigators discovered that some employees are rich beyond their earnings. The Ombudsman, Tito Rutaremara, confirmed the development on Wednesday and revealed that his office had already recommended that officials suspected of dipping their fingers in public funds be sacked. “We have contacted various government institutions recommending their interdiction until they are cleared. There is no room for corrupt people,” Rutaremara revealed in an interview, adding “People must be honest and transparent.” Written declarations are supposed to be submitted on June, 30 every year as a strategy to fight corruption. The 2006 wealth declaration law requires specified government officials to declare their incomes, assets, and liabilities, and those of their spouses, children and dependants. According to Rutaremara, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) employees top the list of those who failed to explain how they accumulated their wealth. RRA is followed by the prison department. When contacted yesterday, the commissioner general of RRA Mary Baine said that she had not received any official notification from the Ombudsman. The exact number of employees implicated was not readily available by press time. Rutaremara said the probe team was still in the field compiling a detailed report and added that names cannot be disclosed at this stage. “You will get the number of the suspects maybe next week,” Rutaremara said at his office in Kacyiru. “We have a sizeable number but we are still compiling the report.” Other wealth indicators considered are land, cars, houses and cash. “We check and investigate the origin of assets and at times we do this with the help of other institutions to unearth the scam or those who under declare their wealth,” added Rutaremara. He said his office has taken the first step and that the next will be taken by the courts. Claudine Uwamahoro, the acting director of the Wealth Declarations Department, said the office unearthed cases of some officials who built expensive houses and bought cars but could not satisfactorily explain where they got the money from. She said that some explanations given by implicated officials who had acquired loans could not add up since in many cases, loans from the banks could not tally with their wealth. “They claimed to have acquired bank loans, but after following the issue in the respective banks, it was discovered that the loans were far below the wealth they have amassed,” explained Uwamahoro. “For instance, you could find the alleged bank loan to be Frw5 million yet the house he bought or constructed using a bank loan is over Frw90 million,” reveals Uwamahoro. Other implicated officials had claimed to have been given money by their relatives but on contacting the said relatives, it was discovered that either the money given was than what they used or none was given at all. Those supposed to declare wealth include the President, ministers, judges, MPs, police, army and prisons officers, heads of departments, local governments and district employees. Penalties for non-compliance include dismissal and loss or forfeiture of assets among others. Ends