Over 3,000 civil servants fail to declare wealth at eve of deadline

At least 5,000 of the 8,000 civil servants, representing 62 per cent, had declared their assets by last week ahead of the deadline today.

Among those who have already declared their wealth are high ranking officials, including the President, Senate president, Speaker of Parliament, the President of Supreme Court and the prime minister.

Jeanne d’Arc Mwiseneza, the head of declaration of assets unit at the Office of the Ombudsman, said the high-ranking officials have been leading by example in the wealth declaration exercise.

“They have never missed the deadline, which is commendable,” said Mwiseneza said.

Other officials who have to declare wealth include members of cabinet, legislators, the military and Police senior officers.

Head of services, logistic and procurement officers and all the local leaders, including sector executive secretaries, are also meant to declare their wealth.

Civil servants cooperating

Mwiseneza said civil servants who were initially opposed to the wealth declaration have since embraced the exercise.

She said last year, 98 per cent of the civil servants complied with the law.

“As long as it’s not ill-gotten wealth, one should not worry about the Ombudsman staff knowing about their properties,” said Kayiranga E. Muzuka, the mayor of Huye.

 “Your wealth is public, when you buy a car, it is recorded in the Rwanda Revenue Authority, or when someone builds a house, the information is available in the land bureau.”

Such institutions also serve as sources of information to the Ombudsman’s verification team.

After receiving the filled-in online declaration form, the eight-person team in the declaration unit starts work on the information provided by the civil servants.

Mwiseneza said they check with the banks to confirm, say, whether a loan one cited was really obtained from the bank.

“We also check with the land bureau whether the house they built is registered under their names,” Mwiseneza.

The official said their verification normally bears fruits.

She cited five cases that they filed with prosecution this year, including those of Nyabihu and Nyamasheke districts’ executive secretaries which are still in court.

Nyamasheke executive secretary allegedly registered his wealth under another person’s names, which the Ombudsman found suspicious.

Mwiseneza said land notaries, procurement officers and other civil servants who make different decisions on services that link their respective institutions with clients seem most exposed to the attempt of corruption and embezzlement.

Jean Marie Vianney Matabaro, the executive secretary for the City of Kigali, decried the cases where leaders cannot lead by example.

“We meet several challenges in our jobs, but we have to comply with the leadership code of conduct, which promotes accountability,” Matabaro said.

Some civil servants, however, said in some instances, the Ombudsman’s office should understand that one may have more wealth that is by far superior to their salary.

Eliab Ntakirutimana, the head nursing at Buruhukiro Health Centre in Nyamagabe District, said: “We try to make good use of our salaries by investing in lucrative projects. It should not be perceived as corruption when someone makes steady progress.”

Matabaro also said serving in public service does not mean being poor, adding, however, that is it important for one to show how they have progressed financially.

Missing the deadline

When a civil servant misses the deadline to declare their assets, the Ombudsman asks their respective institution to sanction disciplinary action against them provided for in the general statutes of public service.

They include warning, official blaming and deduction of quarter of a month’s salary in the first category, while the second category involves suspension from duty for up to three months, delay in promotion and expulsion.

The punishment depends upon previous behaviour of the civil servant in question.

Last year, 47 civil servants were given various forms of punishments.

Declaration of assets to the Office of the Ombudsman is provided for in the law establishing the 11-year-old institution.

The New Times

UM– USEKE.RW