Auditor General’s report pins corrupt officials

GASABO - The office of Prosecutor General has lined up 14 government employees responsible for mismanaging public funds for prosecution. A source from Prosecutor General’s office says there are two categories of cases and they will be handled differently. Whereas a number of the cases could be criminal in nature, others are a result of administrative errors. The 14 employees are accused of criminal offences but their files are not yet in court. Another 19 cases are still under probe. Four cases are already in court. Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga on Wednesday confirmed to Sunday Times the development at his office in Kimihurura. “The 14 cases fall under criminal category and carry heavier punishment,” says Ngoga. In 2006/7 Auditor General’s report, Frw5.3b of state finances was unaccounted for in several public offices. The Criminal Investigative Department (CID) and the office of the Prosecutor General started probing public entities and officials implicated in mismanagement of public funds months ago. Ngoga revealed that most of the money was lost through illegal tendering procedures. Parliament has in the past decried high levels of irregularities. “We are still following other cases. We appeal to the public to be a bit patient. Things are on course,” Ngoga said. The AG had previously stated that tenders worth Frw3.8b were not sanctioned by the National Tender Board, while other tenders worth Frw7.85b had no justifications for being awarded by Internal Tender Committees (ITCs). In one case, PAFOR, a forest conservation project in the ministry of agriculture, had Frw77m embezzled by the accountant. Other institutions where money was embezzled in the past include the Students Financing Agency for Rwanda (SFAR) where Frw96m was stolen and the University Hospital of Kigali (CHU/K). At SFAR, the accountant who stole the money deposited Frw20m of it in the Director General’s bank account. He is said to be on the run. Ends