The spokesperson for the Prosecutor General’s Office, Nkusi Faustin, reported that the number of cases the government wins in files related to the mismanagement of public funds has increased from 76% in 2018/2019 to 81% in 2023. In the past five years, 4,698 case files have been received.
He made this statement during the Isesenguramakuru program on Radio Rwanda on Saturday, April 27, 2024, which discussed the management of public funds and the tracking of those who misappropriate them.
The discussion was attended by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Deputy Muhakwa Valens; the Auditor General of State Finances, Alexis Kamuhire; the Director of Never Again Rwanda, Dr. Joseph Ryarasa Nkurunziza; and the spokesperson of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Nkusi Faustin.
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) recently announced that in the 2022/2023 fiscal year, 2.5 billion RWF was misused illegally, compared to 6.4 billion RWF the previous year.
Auditor General Alexis Kamuhire told lawmakers that this is money from the government used unnecessarily or in violation of the law, including cases of embezzlement or waste of public resources.
Nkusi Faustin, the Prosecutor General’s Office spokesperson, added that the government had recovered more than 3 billion RWF that was embezzled between 2015 and 2021.
He said, “There are 526 defendants in these cases, including those who have been fined and those ordered to return the funds.”
Nkusi also emphasized that despite the continued mistakes, the government has not stopped taking action. “We do not keep the reports of the Auditor General in drawers. We analyze them and identify crimes and mistakes,” he added.
He explained that once the report is compiled, it is handed over to the Prosecutor General’s office for further analysis. “We have measures to track these reports. We have a unit for tracking economic crimes at the Prosecutor General’s office, which includes 12 prosecutors, and each province has one, so in total, there are 24,” Nkusi said.
The Prosecutor General’s Office works closely with the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) in investigating crimes such as embezzling public funds, mismanagement of resources, corruption, illegal tax exemptions, and others.
He noted that every year there has been a reduction in such crimes, but they still persist. “In the last five years, 28 case files involved 69 people. We want this to stop. It is not acceptable for people to keep getting involved, attending parliamentary sessions, and explaining themselves,” Nkusi said.
“When we receive a report, we follow it up and take it to court. Our goal is to win. Since 2018/2019, we have won cases at a rate of 76%. Crimes are complex, which is why we have formed a specialized team to train and understand how to follow up on these cases. Now, we are winning 81% of cases.”
The recovered funds from 2015 to 2021 amount to over 1 billion and 964 million RWF, fines imposed exceed 1 billion and 461 million RWF, bringing the total to over 3 billion RWF.
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Deputy Muhakwa Valens, noted that there has been progress in the way public institutions respond to inquiries about the management of public funds. “Public institutions attending PAC sessions used to be all local governments, but now only a few are responding.”
From Monday, April 29 to May 9, 2024, PAC will review institutions highlighted in the Auditor General’s report for mismanaging public funds.
Auditor General Alexis Kamuhire emphasized that people must work transparently and ensure their actions are known to the public. “The recommendations given have been implemented at a rate of 59%, with all institutions visited. The good news is that this figure is improving as it was 57% last year. It requires that those in leadership positions pay attention to the recommendations we have made.”
Dr. Joseph Ryarasa Nkurunziza, the Director of Never Again Rwanda, added that Rwandans should continue working with transparency. “That’s why you find some countries without governments, but life continues. This means that people have been educated, they go into leadership positions and do what is right. The lessons from the last 30 years show that we need leaders who do the right things. Secondly, the citizens need to respect those who hold them accountable for their actions.”
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