War on corruption: Accomplices in hiding illicit property to be pursued

The National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) has said that it will prefer criminal charges on anyone found to have accepted to pose as the owner of property belonging to a suspect in a corruption related crime. The warning was issued by Prosecutor General Aimable Havugiyaremye who outlined some of the tricks used by people suspected of corruption or embezzlement of public funds. Addressing the press on Tuesday, July 28, Havugiyaremye said that the mode of operation has changed to give the government an opportunity to recoup public funds as opposed to only prosecuting those involved in corruption related crimes. Among the changes, he said that besides freezing assets as soon as someone one is flagged as a suspect, anyone who helps him or her in for instance, hiding property will be prosecuted. “As soon as an investigation into a person’s involvement into corruption begins, all their bank accounts and property will automatically be frozen. Anyone connected to the suspects, to whom property is transferred but can’t prove ownership will be prosecuted. This is the only way we can ensure that the Government recoups its money,” he said. The numbers Havugiyaremye said that the government has in the last few years prosecuted 928 cases involving 1,187 people in cases related to corruption and mismanagement of government funds. These cases involved Rwf4.7 billion. At least Rwf1.9 billion was recovered before the cases got to court. Last week, the Minister of Justice Johnston Busingye warned those who continue to misuse government funds saying that the wheels of justice are in motion to wipe such culprits from public offices and to hold those who continue this vice accountable. Appearing on a local radio talk show, Busingye said that the government is currently pursuing about Rwf11bn that it hopes to recoup from cases that it won in corruption and public funds mismanagement-related cases, some dating as far back as 2001. On her part, the Chairperson of Transparency International Rwanda; Marie Immaculée Ingabire who was also on the panel, called for more stringent measures in holding those who are implicated in these cases accountable. “We have never heard of any one person whose property has been sold because of this. Do we completely forget that money? All these people own properties. If you cannot default on a bank loan and get away with it, why should citizens’ taxes be squandered,” she wondered. The Auditor General Obadiah Biraro told The New Times in an interview that besides prosecution, all government officials found guilty of corruption related crimes should refund the money. “Leadership should come with accountability and those trusted with the task to disburse public funds should be stripped of these responsibilities and tasked to refund the monies they lost,” he said. Crime rate rising Attending the same press conference at prosecution, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) Secretary General, Col. Jeannot Ruhunga, shed light on the increase in the crimes they investigate, which he largely attributed to the increase in the confidence people have in authorities. “Crime reporting has increased because victims understand their rights better and trust the authorities enough to get them justice. According to the statistics we have, in 2018 alone, we investigated 43,279 cases, in 2019, we investigated f 54,757 cases in the first half of 2020, we have so far investigated 30,779,” he explained. However, he said that violent crimes involving arms like robbery and terrorism, are at a very low rate. Ruhunga said that the Eastern Province takes the lead with the highest crime rate with 30,759 cases registered in the last three years. On the district level, Gasabo is in the leading positions followed by Nyarugenge and Nyagatare.

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War on corruption: Accomplices in hiding illicit property to be pursued