Seven foreign missions to be probed over missing funds

KIGALI - Investigators from the Office of Prosecutor General will soon start investigating seven embassies to ascertain whether they misused public funds, The NewTimes has learnt. According to a source from the Office of Prosecutor General, the proposed probe follows persistent reports that some embassies could have mismanaged state finances. The 2006 Auditor General’s report had indicated that public funds at some embassies were not used properly. The source said investigations will start as soon as the Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga, endorses it. He could not be reached by press time to comment. However, Augustin Nkusi, the Prosecutor General’s spokesperson confirmed the development in an interview at his Kimihurura office yesterday. “Visiting these embassies will come as a last resort. We can decide to summon them or communicate over the phone,” Nkusi said. Embassies lined up for probe include Geneva, Paris, The Hague, New Delhi and Addis-Ababa. Others are Washington DC and Pretoria respectively. About Rwf55million money sent had no backing documents to support the expenditure. Over Rwf131 million was reportedly lost as a result of violating the tendering procedures. In 2006, The Auditor General indicated that Washington DC spent over Rwf39 million in 2005 and over Rwf 8million in 2006 which was not accounted for. The same report indicates our embassy in South Africa spent Rwf52 million and over Rwf36 million in 2005 and 2006 respectively which was also not accounted for. The report had also noted that of the 143 students who went for studies in South Africa, only 29 students were reportedly given clearance from Students Financing Agency (SFAR). “We have not got any supporting document to explain the expenditure,” a member of the probe team set up said on phone. A fortnight ago, David Nkusi, the Director of Finance at the Ministry of Finance was quizzed in connection with releasing unexplained money to the embassies. “I don’t know what went wrong in these embassies. I don’t check their reports,” Nkusi said by phone yesterday. According to the 2006 Auditor General report, a whopping Frw5.3b of state finances were unaccounted for. The report revealed that most of the money was lost through illegal tendering procedures. 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 the Internal Tender Committees (ITCs). Ends