The Minister for Justice, Johnston Busingye, has sent a warning to unlicensed brokers who get involved in shady public auctions. Speaking yesterday at a consultative meeting to discuss efficient and effective enforcement of court judgments, and other executory orders, Busingye said that while improvement has been recorded over the years, there has been a recent upsurge of citizens’ complaints related to non-execution, wrongly or fraudulently executed judgments and other executory orders. Citing public auctions of property that are usually done to recover money owed to banks or individuals, Busingye had tough words for illegal brokers who work behind the scenes to devaluate the properties causing losses to the owner and the economy. “I would like to tell all those involved in shady deals that frustrate the execution of judgments causing losses and destabilising the economy, making investors doubt how we do business among us, that we are coming after you,” he warned. Busingye said that enforcement of court judgments, which is normally the responsibility of professional bailiffs and other legally mandated officers has been marred by allegations of corruption, fraud, conflict of interest, and lack of transparency. “Corruption has been cited in some areas but, most especially among those who preside over public auctions, buyers, brokers, banks, lawyers, evaluators. Brokers, who have no set of rules to guide them, work hard to sell off property at a price that is not appropriate. We must denounce it, fight it and it must stop because it won’t get us anywhere,” he said Busingye pointed that while banks are instrumental to the country’s economy and should be protected from non-performing loans, they on the other hand have a duty to assure the public that within their staff, there are no individuals that collude with questionable elements when it comes to collateral. The Ombudsman, Anastase Murekezi, also said that there is need to constantly and keenly follow the process of public auctions calling for a special investigation into people that are implicated in the sham transactions. “We need to look into these people, whether its lawyers, bailiffs, bank representatives, those in charge of auctions, we need to know what is really going on and who is involved as one of the steps. We should be involved,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
