Prosecution in Western Province arraigned before court five officials accusing them of flouting procedures in awarding two tenders.Those who appeared before Bwishyura Primary Court, provincial executive secretary, Paul Jabo, and directors; Deny Bisengimana (Good Governance), Jessica Mbabazi (Specific Programmes), Emmanuel Nyamaswa, coordinator of district development programs) and Donatila Nyiranteziryayo, a former accountant.Appearing before court on Tuesday, the officials were charged of breaching public procurement rules in awarding a tender of supplying IT maintenance equipments.The prosecution represented by Theogene Rwabahizi alleged that in 2009, the accused approved Glotech Company to supply IT equipments at a fee of Rwf844, 240 instead of Business Technologies which had quoted a lower price.All the accused maintained that it was mistake. They said that it was just a non-deliberate error not having doubled checked before signing the approval document for the tender.However, Jabo and Bisengimana also face separate charges of employing an individual to train the provincial accountant without conducting public bidding.The individual in question is identified as Jean Baptiste Nsengimana who was an accountant of Gasabo district at the time the alleged offence was committed.Under the Law No. 12/2007 of 27 March 2007 governing public procurement, any government business is obliged to go through public bidding and a tender is supposed to be awarded to the bidder with the lowest prices.On the charges, Jabo and Bisengimana said that a bid was actually conducted but the prospective winner declined to take on the job and instead hired another private expert.Presiding judge, Mari Claire Mukabulega set the ruling for November 22, 2012.The latest Auditor General’s report indicates that a hundreds public servants ought to be arraigned before court for various criminal offences.According to the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), a total of 342 civil servants have been dragged to court for causing massive financial losses to the overnment through fraud, illegal awarding of tenders and mismanagement of public assets.
