Prosecution intensifies hunt for FARG ‘ghost’ students

•Figure goes up to 135 The office of the Prosecutor General has widened its hunt for ‘ghost’ students on the Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG) beneficiaries’ list. The prosecution had initially compiled a list of 99 ‘ghost’ students from 27 secondary schools, a figure that shot up to 135 by last week, revealed Prosecution Spokesman, Augustine Nkusi in an interview. “As mentioned earlier, the hunt for ghost students is still going on and more are being unearthed,” said Nkusi. The 36 who have been unearthed are from 12 other schools. According to Nkusi, out of the 36, in the inspected schools, five students had double subscription with FARG while the rest (31) simply did not exist. In an earlier interview with The New Times, Nkusi said that school officials involved in the scam are under investigation. The probe into the 10-year old institution was launched following a series of complaints and irregularities that have characterized it throughout its lifetime. Meanwhile latest developments indicate that a committee set up two weeks ago to investigate irregularities surrounding the mismanagement of equipment meant to build houses for the needy has seen to the arrest of over a 100 suspected officials. According to Nkusi, about 104 people from different parts of the country are under investigation for their alleged theft of the construction materials. The materials were provided by government in an effort to build shelters for the needy. Most of the construction work was carried out under the supervision of local authorities and man-power was provided by citizens. “What is clear from the ongoing evaluation is that some of the materials were stolen and the prosecution is now pursuing whoever is involved and ensuring that they are recovered,” said Nkusi. The materials included iron sheets, cement, nails and other construction materials. According to Nkusi, those being investigated include 69 government officials, from the cell to the district level and 35 citizens. Ends

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Prosecution intensifies hunt for FARG ‘ghost’ students