08.01.09 - ICTR/SURVIVORS - 17 UNDER INVESTIGATIONS FOR ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMENT OF FUNDS

Arusha, 08 January, 2009 (FH) - Rwandan Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga, has confirmed that at least 17 people are under investigations for their involvement in mismanagement of Funds for Support of Genocide Survivors (FARG), established some ten years ago.

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Ngoga was reacting to allegations made by the Executive Secretary of FARG, Jean Marie Karekezi, who claimed that the judiciary was not doing enough to prosecute alleged embezzlers of funds, reported Wednesday the pro-government New Times.

The irregularities in questions which were alleged to have long characterised the institution, include creating ghost beneficiaries, poor construction of survivors' houses, corruption and mismanagement of funds.

According to Ngoga, FARG has not yet produced a list of suspects as was directed in a joint emergency meeting called by the later to discuss the issue.

"I personally took the initiative of clearing the FARG problem and I went to local government ministry and held a meeting with Nyatanyi and Karekezi and part of offers tabled before FARG was to establish a team made up of policemen and prosecutors who will go on the field and apprehend whoever was suspected of creating the irregularities, but we never got a feedback from FARG," according to Ngoga.

Meanwhile, government in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Governments was in the process of hiring private firms that would assess and estimate the value of all houses that have been constructed for genocide survivors since 1998.

NI/SC/GF

© Hirondelle News Agency