Govt to freeze assets of corruption suspects

The government will start freezing the assets of individuals suspected of being involved in corruption in a bid to recover looted state funds, the Deputy Prosecutor General has said. In a recent exclusive interview with The New Times, Alphonse Hitiyaremye said they have managed to unearth many cases of corruption and embezzlement of funds. The development follows a recent crackdown on corrupt officials, especially in the local government, which has seen a number of senior officials arrested while others were relieved of their duties as investigations continue “We are going to tighten the bolts. If we suspect anybody to be involved in embezzlement of public funds, we will immediately freeze his or her assets until the law takes its course,” Hitiyaremye warned. “If anyone is proven guilty, then the assets will be auctioned and proceeds taken back to government coffers”. The 2008 corruption perceptions index (CPI) published by Transparency International (TI), ranked Rwanda the least corrupt country in the East African Community (EAC).The report hailed Rwandas efforts in the fight against corruption, translating into tougher measures against corruption. The TI CPI measures the perceived levels of corruption in the public sector and is a composite index, drawing on different experts and business surveys. Ends

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Govt to freeze assets of corruption suspects