OLUCOME: Is the illicit wealth of the Burundian authorities used to inflate the general budget of the State?
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol VII, Issue #233 | Thursday, January 19, 2023
Dear Readers,
The Observatory for the Fight against Corruption and Economic Malpractices (OLUCOME, Burundian Think Tank) shared early this week the key contents of a plea note that was sent to the Burundian authorities on January 16, 2023.
Why it matters
Burundi scored 19 points out of 100 on the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. According to OLUCOME the Burundian authorities, who should be models to be followed by citizens in the fight against corruption, have not yet declared their assets and assets when entering and leaving their public positions.
Only 4 officials has declared their assets
According to this note made public by Gabriel Rufyiri, President of OLUCOME, since the promulgation of the law against corruption, only 4 authorities have declared their property and assets. They are Edouard Nduwimana, the former Ombudsman of Burundi, Prosper Bazombanza, the Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi, Prosper Ntahorwamiye, the Government Spokesperson as well as Dieudonné Dukundane, the Minister in charge of infrastructure.
Illicit enrichment, conflict of interest, money laundering and donations offered for purposes of corruption are, according to OLUCOME, offenses that follow if the declaration of assets is not respected. “The law reprimanding them exists but the presumed culprits are neither arrested nor tried by the Burundian courts.” emphasized Gabriel Rufyiri
For OLUCOME, “illicit wealth which mainly may com from corruption is reportedly being used to inflate the general budget of the State.”
In terms of governance and the fight against corruption, t Burundi ratified on January 18, 2005 the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the African Convention on the Prevention and Fight against Corruption.
OLUCOME accuses the government of Burundi of not implementing these conventions, nor implementing the articles of the Burundian constitution relating to the fight against corruption.
Thanks for reading,
Fabrice Iranzi, Editor in Chief, RegionWeek