Governance

Anti-corruption watchdog questions Anti-Corruption Court report

“The Anti-Corruption Court and the General Prosecutor’s Office at the same court recovered over BIF 980 million in the first half of 2018,” said Alphonsine Ndizeye, spokesperson for the Anti-Corruption Court when she presented the report of the first half of the year on Monday, July 30. “The Anti-Corruption Court recorded an increase of more than BIF 500 million compared to 2017,” Ndizeye said.

Alphonsine Ndizeye: “the Anti-Corruption Court recovered more than BIF 575 million BIF against more than 170 million by June 30, 2017”

Alphonsine Ndizeye: “the Anti-Corruption Court recovered more than BIF 575 million BIF against more than 170 million by June 30, 2017”

According to her, the Anti-Corruption Court recovered more than BIF 575 million BIF against more than 170 million in 2017 by June 30. At the same time, the prosecutor’s office at the Anti-Corruption Court recovered BIF over BIF 400 million against 258 in 2017.

Gabriel Rufyiri, chairman of the national organization fighting against corruption (OLUCOME) considers the money recovered very insufficient. He says that money can be misappropriated by one person at a time.

This civil society activist doubts the competence of the Anti-Corruption Court. “Its competence is limited by its legal skills.” He regrets that the law does not allow it to judge high authorities like ministers or military generals adding that the High Court of Justice is not yet established while it is provided for in the Constitution. “It is competent to judge some high authorities including the Head of State and the Presidents of the National Assembly and Senate,” says Rufyiri.

For him, Burundi still has hard work to do to eradicate corruption. He calls on the government to set up anti-corruption institutions with sufficient skills.