Gambia has commended policies designed to address corruption in Rwanda and assured to apply similar structures to the country.
This was disclosed by Gambian Minister of Justice, Mama Fatima Singhateh, on October 2, 2015 while discussing with Rwanda Inspector General of Police Emmanuel K. Gasana where she hailed the force’s response against corruption.
Singhateh is touring for week- long fact-finding mission on how Rwanda has institutionalized and implemented its anti-corruption policies.
During discussions Singhateh poured out appreciations to the force for its outstanding response to graft.
“We are in the process of establishing an anti-corruption commission in the Gambia and we know that Rwanda has a lot to teach us on how it started its own anti-graft structures,” Singhateh said.
“We are very much impressed with what we have seen in Rwanda. My President has declared a war on corruption; he has come up with a movement called ‘Operation No Compromise’ and also given us a deadline of December to have the anti-corruption commission established,” Minister Singhateh said.
“One of the key starting points in addressing corruption is the Police and I am very happy to learn that Rwanda National Police has institutionalized the anti-corruption mechanisms and play a pivotal in the fight against corruption.”
IGP Gasana said that fighting corruption and other related malpractices have been one of the key strategies and a priority in shaping the policing regime of the force.
“Twenty –one years ago, Rwanda experienced shock; it was dooms day and tragic to humanity. That story of genocide will remain in our hearts but it has not stopped Rwandans from shaping their future. Because of able leadership, we have moved forward to attainment well- being, ”Gasana said.
Rwanda ‘zero stance to corruption’ is a “strict” imposed marked line that “even a police officer who swindles or solicit US1 dollar is no different from one stealing millions. The fate is the same; you are dismissed from the force…no flexibility.
So far 210 Police officers have been implicated in graft-related crimes in the last four years, with 98 of them dismissed from the force and case files of 50 others forwarded to ordinary courts.
Rwanda police also has a unique partnership with other justice institutions including Ombudsman Office and Transparency International-Rwanda, with whom they signed a memorandum of understanding.