RRA official resigns for defying assets law

KIGALI - A deputy commissioner for small and medium tax payer’s department at the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) has resigned after failing to explain how he accumulated his wealth. The commissioner, Vincent Uzarama has reportedly been under pressure after it emerged that he had accumulated wealth beyond his earnings. “Yes, he opted to resign after failing to explain how he got his wealth. I think he never wanted to be pushed,” our source said on Tuesday. The source said Uzarama handed in his resignation recently to his immediate boss Celestin Bumbakari, who is the Commissioner for domestic taxes. Bumbakari could not be reached to confirm this by press time.Uzarama’s personal secretary, Esther Zaninka could neither deny nor confirm the resignation. “No way, I cannot comment on this matter,” she said by phone on Saturday morning. A fortnight ago, Sundaytimes reported that the office of the Ombudsman was investigating some government employees suspected to have amassed unexplained wealth. Investigations are meant to check whether the amounts declared by employees reflect the reality on the ground. The Ombudsman, Tito Rutaremara had early revealed that his office had already recommended that officials suspected of dipping their fingers in public funds be sacked. According to Rutaremara, RRA employees top the list of those who failed to explain how they accumulated their wealth. RRA is followed by the prisons department. Written declarations are supposed to be submitted on June, 30 every year as a strategy to fight corruption. The 2006 wealth declaration law requires specific government officials to declare their incomes, assets, and liabilities, and those of their spouses, children and dependants. Claudine Uwamahoro, the acting director of the Wealth Declarations Department, had earlier said the office had unearthed cases of some officials who built expensive houses and bought cars but could not satisfactorily explain where they got the money from. 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