{Rwanda is globally recognized as one of the least corrupt nations, according to various international reports, and among the best performers in Africa in fighting graft. } <\/p>\n
For Rwanda to achieve such, extra efforts and commitment had to be invested.<\/p>\n
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jean Nepo Mboyumuvunyi, commissioner for Inspectorate of Police Services and Ethics in Rwanda National Police (RNP), corruption is viewed as a \u201cviolation of human rights\u201d in Rwanda.<\/p>\n
The inspectorate is partly charged with fighting corruption both within RNP and in other institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cRNP looks at corruption in a bigger picture; it fuels injustice, inequality and deprives people of their rights to a certain free service and actually slows down or affects service delivery, and fighting it with no leniency, is equally the responsibility of police and all Rwandans,\u201d ACP Mbonyumuvunyi said.<\/p>\n
He was reacting to various incidents where people have been arrested either soliciting or giving bribes, and embezzlement.<\/p>\n
Close to 400 civilians majority drivers, have been arrested over the last three years in connection with attempting to bribe police officers to acquire illegal services. At least 117 were arrested in 2014 and 224 in 2015.<\/p>\n
\u201cFighting corruption has no timeframe or boundaries, and is not specific to one institution; this malpractice manifests in various ways such as demanding something for a legally free service, trying to buy an illegal service or even nepotism. We have to double our efforts collectively each day by reporting those who trade services for money or demand something in exchange for a free service,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are guided by the national policy of zero tolerance to corruption and we continuously conduct awareness campaigns against it as well as educating both the public and our officers,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
According to Law No. 23\/2003 of 07\/08\/2003 on corruption and related offences especially in its articles 10 to 27 provides for penalties including a term of imprisonment ranging from two to five years and fines depending on the nature and circumstances under which the offence was committed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBesides the skills given to police officers as they are joining the force, we also conduct refresher courses where we remind them of the consequences of taking bribes and their role in fighting it; it is a tradition in RNP that anyone caught in such malpractice will be dismissed from the force, and many of those that have been implicated have followed suit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As part of the internal strategies against corruption, police statistics indicate that 170 police officers were arrested in 2014 in graft-related crimes in 2014 and 78 others have been caught in 2015. At least 190 officers implicated in corruption have been dismissed from the force over the years.<\/p>\n
Graft, he said, is sometimes hard to identify it since it\u2019s done in secrecy, but added that ownership by each member of a society or an institution become \u201can eye for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe police internal stringent measures against corruption are paying off in a sense that despite the isolated cases, which in most cases come to light and punitive measures taken, we are seeing officers on highways, police stations and even mechanical inspection services standing bold to refuse bribes and arresting those who attempt seduce them with offers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the many officers that have stood up against corruption include Corporal Frederic Mbonyinkindi from Kirehe Police station who intercepted a driver who had overloaded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe pleaded that I should not issue a ticket and in the process, he attempted to bribe me with Rwf10, 000. I decided to arrest him and handed him over for prosecution,\u201d said Mbonyinkindi referring to an incident that happened recently.<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t the first time someone attempted to bribe Mbonyinkindi; in 2013, a certain driver who hadn\u2019t insured his vehicle was involved in an accident and attempted to bribe Mbonyinkindi so as not to impound his vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted to flip the cars and bring another one to replace the one that had no insurance\u2026. He wanted to bribe me so that I facilitate the flip but instead I arrested him,\u201d said Mbonyinkindi.<\/p>\n
His colleague, Police Constable (PC) Thomas Ndayisenga from the Motor vehicle inspection center has also had an encounter with wrongdoers who attempted to bribe him as means of acquiring an inspection certificate that their vehicles did not qualify for.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been several attempts of people trying to acquire the certificate through some improper channels including trying to bribe us but we always apprehend them, parade them ad have them prosecuted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ndayisenga is among the police officers that RNP recently recognized for standing up against corruption.<\/p>\n
In March this year, 13 people were arrested at in the City of Kigali for either posing as police brokers for vehicle mechanical inspection services or attempting to bribe officers to unlawfully acquire mechanical inspection services. <\/p>\n
Sergeant Vestine Abijuru and Corporal Dorothy Uwizeye from Gikondo Police station are among the female police officers that have also apprehended several people who attempted to bribe them.<\/p>\n
\u201cCorruption does not only affect the economy and the welfare of the people, but also discourages donors and destroys investor confidence, strangling development, progress and prosperity,\u201d said ACP Mbonyumuvunyi.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy understanding corruption\u2019s full impact and seeing it through the eyes of its effects, we are creating e new weapons to combat it, and that\u2019s why we have put all necessary measures including partnering with other institutions like the Office of Ombudsman and Transparency International, and setting up a toll-free line \u2013 997 \u2013 to put efforts together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rwanda\u2019s sustainable development goals, partly, aims to reduce bribery and corruption, develop accountable institutions, cut the flow of illicit money and strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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